Recurring concern

Unreliable Section 17 support and discharge-planning arrangements for children in need

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First reported 30 Jan 2013•Latest report 3 Oct 2016

Definition

What this concern includes

Includes only assertions that directly instantiate the manually reviewed condition ‘Unreliable Section 17 support and discharge-planning arrangements for children in need’ and satisfy this evidence boundary: Both reports directly concern failures in the named Section 17 Children Act support process, but only one establishes an away-from-home placement and family-contact support. Remove that unsupported shared qualifier while retaining the specific statutory process and the distinct support-assessment and discharge-planning manifestations.

Not included

  • Excludes general child safeguarding, Child in Need or social-care assessment failures where Section 17 support is not the identified process.
  • Excludes ordinary family-contact communication failures where no Section 17 support or planning deficiency is identified.
  • Excludes failures to provide unrelated care packages, accommodation or placements after Section 17 support needs have been assessed.
  • Excludes generic travel, funding or social-services coordination deficiencies unless they directly impair Section 17 support for maintaining family contact.
  • Excludes manifestations outside the manually reviewed boundary: Both reports directly concern failures in the named Section 17 Children Act support process, but only one establishes an away-from-home placement and family-contact support. Remove that unsupported shared qualifier while retaining the specific statutory process and the distinct support-assessment and discharge-planning manifestations.
Reports
2

Distinct published reports

Individual concerns
2

A report can raise multiple concerns

Date range
2013–2016

First to latest report issue date

Stated actions
3

Described in published responses

Reports over time

Reports over time

Reports about this concern issued each year.

* 2026 is projected from reports observed to 7 Sep 2026.

Most frequent recipients

Most frequent recipients

Reports about this concern sent to each recipient.

Department of Health and Social Care1
London Borough of Hounslow1
Oldham Borough Council1
Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust1

Concerns and responses across reports

Only concerns grouped under this recurring concern are included. Select any concern, action or position to view the source wording.

  1. West Sussex

    AI-generated summary

    Amy El-Keria · Prevention of Future Deaths report

    This summary was generated using AI from the published report. Please read the original report for the complete account.

    Report summary

    Amy El-Keria, aged 14, died on 13 November 2012 after tying a ligature around her neck and suspending herself from a radiator while receiving inpatient mental health care. The inquest identified concerns about staffing levels being insufficient to provide the one-to-one support in her care plan and the shortage of acute mental health beds for young people close to home, limiting family support.

    Read the report on judiciary.uk

    Source evidence

    How this individual concern was interpreted

    PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below.

    PFD Monitor interpretation

    Failure to assess and provide support for family contact when children are placed far from home

    Wider context from the report

    “(2) Social Services clearly have a vital role to play in ensuring family contact where a child is placed far from their family home where difficulties arise. There was no assessment carried out to assess whether there was any need to provide support to a child in need under Section 17 Children Act 1989 even when Amy’s mother had specifically raised the difficulties she was having with contact with Amy, including the cost of travel, with her support worker. ”

    Source location

    Amy El-Keria · Prevention of Future Deaths report
    Page 1 · concerns

    Open source report

    Source evidence

    How this respondent action was interpreted

    PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

    PFD Monitor interpretation

    Update Thresholds Guidance and Assessment Protocols to address duties for children placed away from home, mental health inpatient care, assessments, and family contact.

    Verbatim wording from the response

    “The London Borough of Hounslow has re-drafted and updated its Thresholds Guidance & Assessment Protocols to ensure specific reference is made to these matters. Advice was sought from Mental Health professionals as part of this process. The London Borough of Hounslow will ensure that this information is disseminated across Children’s Social Care, and that refresher and update briefing will be delivered to all relevant social workers and staff. The information will be disseminated across Children’s Social Care teams the week of 28/11/2016 and Heads of Service and Team Managers will ensure that all managers and practitioners are fully briefed. Information will be shared by Heads of Service at their next Management Meetings and with social work staff at their next Team Meetings.”

    Source location

    Response from London Borough of Hounslow
    Page 1 · response
    Published 3 October 2016

    Open published response

    Source evidence

    How this respondent action was interpreted

    PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

    PFD Monitor interpretation

    Publish and maintain the updated threshold guidance on the council, safeguarding board, and Children’s Social Care procedure websites.

    Verbatim wording from the response

    “The threshold document is available to the public on the council’s website and specifically on its Local Safeguarding Children’s Board site. The document is public facing but is primarily aimed at assisting those professionals working with children to understand how thresholds are applied and how child protection professionals make decisions in respect of appropriate action. Assistance to children in need under S17 of the Children Act 1989 for children placed in a hospital or other setting is referenced at section 3.9 (pages 12-14) under the headings ‘Children Receiving Tier 4 Inpatient Provision’ and ‘Children Act 1989 Section 85 & 86 Duties’.”

    Source location

    Response from London Borough of Hounslow
    Page 2 · response
    Published 3 October 2016

    Open published response

    Source evidence

    How this respondent action was interpreted

    PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

    PFD Monitor interpretation

    Disseminate the updated information across Children’s Social Care and deliver refresher briefings to relevant managers, practitioners, social workers, and staff.

    Verbatim wording from the response

    “The London Borough of Hounslow has re-drafted and updated its Thresholds Guidance & Assessment Protocols to ensure specific reference is made to these matters. Advice was sought from Mental Health professionals as part of this process. The London Borough of Hounslow will ensure that this information is disseminated across Children’s Social Care, and that refresher and update briefing will be delivered to all relevant social workers and staff. The information will be disseminated across Children’s Social Care teams the week of 28/11/2016 and Heads of Service and Team Managers will ensure that all managers and practitioners are fully briefed. Information will be shared by Heads of Service at their next Management Meetings and with social work staff at their next Team Meetings.”

    Source location

    Response from London Borough of Hounslow
    Page 1 · response
    Published 3 October 2016

    Open published response

  2. Manchester South

    AI-generated summary

    Gareth Mark Slater · Prevention of Future Deaths report

    This summary was generated using AI from the published report. Please read the original report for the complete account.

    Report summary

    Gareth Mark Slater, who had a history of bipolar affective disorder and had been discharged from hospital into his own accommodation, was found in the River Medlock on 31 March 2013 after apparently falling from Bardsley Bridge. The Inquest concluded that he died from drowning and multiple injuries, with bipolar affective disorder recorded as a contributing condition, and found no evidence of an intention to end his life. Concerns included inadequate discharge planning, lack of a care plan and follow-up arrangements, insufficient assessment of his ability to live independently, and poor preparation of his accommodation.

    Read the report on judiciary.uk

    Source evidence

    How this individual concern was interpreted

    PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below.

    PFD Monitor interpretation

    Failure to hold a Section 17 discharge planning meeting

    Wider context from the report

    “2. There was no Section 17 discharge planning meeting. ”

    Source location

    Gareth Mark Slater · Prevention of Future Deaths report
    Page 2 · concerns

    Open source report
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Data last updated 7 September 2026