List of Agency Decision Makers, Designated Managers and Nominated Officers
Scope of this chapter
NOTE: Consent to life-ending withdrawal of medical support for a child will require an application to the High Court even if all relevant parties are in agreement. Legal advice must be sought as a matter of urgency.
Related guidance
The Agency Decision Maker who makes decisions on all adoption matters (some of which will be made on the basis of a recommendation of the Adoption Panel).
Stephen Kitchman
Post title: Director of Children's Social Care
Contact details:
Lewisham Children's Social Care
1st Floor Laurence House
1 Catford Road
London
SE6 4RU
Tel: 020 8314 8140
The Agency Decision Maker who makes decisions on fostering matters (on the basis of recommendations of the Fostering Panel).
Post title: Service Manager, Business Strategy, Fostering and Placements
Contact details:
Lewisham Children's Social Care
1st Floor Laurence House
1 Catford Road
London
SE6 4RU
Tel: 020 8314 8730
The manager who can authorise appointments to the Central List of Adoption Panel members.
Stephen Kitchman
Post title: Director of Children's Social Care
Contact details:
Lewisham Children's Social Care
1st Floor Laurence House
1 Catford Road
London
SE6 4RU
Tel: 020 8314 8140
The manager who can authorise the level of adoption support to be provided to children, adopters (including financial support) and their family or birth family members.
Shirley Grounder
Post title: Service Manager Adoption, Looked After Children and Leaving Care Service
Contact details:
Lewisham Children's Social Care
1st Floor Laurence House
1 Catford Road
London
SE6 4RU
Tel: 020 8314 7808
The manager who can authorise the final Care Plan to be taken before the Court within Care Proceedings.
Post title: Service Manager
Contact details:
Children's Social Care
1st Floor Laurence House
1 Catford Road
London
SE6 4RU
The manager who can authorise the initiating of Care Proceedings.
Post title: Service Manager
Contact details:
Children's Social Care
1st Floor Laurence House
1 Catford Road
London
SE6 4RU
The manager who can authorise the change of name of a Looked After Child.
Stephen Kitchman
Post title: Director of Children's Social Care
Contact details:
Lewisham Children's Social Care
1st Floor Laurence House
1 Catford Road
London
SE6 4RU
Tel: 020 8314 8140
The manager who can authorise the suspension or termination of contact between a Looked After child and their parents (subject to the Court's approval after 7 days for children on Emergency Protection Orders, Interim Care Orders or Care Orders).
Post title: Team Manager
Contact details:
Children's Social Care
1st Floor Laurence House
1 Catford Road
London
SE6 4RU
The senior manager who should be notified in the event of death or serious injury to a child.
Sarah Williams
Post title: Executive Director for Children and Young People
Contact details:
Children and Young People
5th Floor Laurence House
1 Catford Road
London
SE6 4RU
Tel: 020 8314 8527
The manager who can authorise a child becoming Looked After.
Post title: Service Manager
Contact details:
Children's Social Care
1st Floor Laurence House
1 Catford Road
London
SE6 4RU
The manager who can authorise an application for an Emergency Protection Order.
Post title: Service Manager
Contact details:
Children's Social Care
1st Floor Laurence House
1 Catford Road
London
SE6 4RU
The manager who can authorise the placement of a Looked after child outside England and Wales.
Stephen Kitchman
Post title: Director of Children's Social Care
Contact details:
Lewisham Children's Social Care
1st Floor Laurence House
1 Catford Road
London
SE6 4RU
Tel: 020 8314 8140
The manager who can authorise any exemptions from the usual fostering limit for foster carers living in the local authority area.
Post title: Service Manager, Business Strategy, Fostering and Placements
Contact details:
Lewisham Children's Social Care
1st Floor Laurence House
1 Catford Road
London
SE6 4RU
Tel: 020 8314 8730
The manager who can authorise placements of Looked After children with external providers of residential care or foster carers from an independent fostering agency.
Post title: Team Manager
Contact details:
Children's Social Care
1st Floor Laurence House
1 Catford Road
London
SE6 4RU
The manager who can authorise appointments to the Central List of Fostering Panel members
Post title: Service Manager, Business Strategy, Fostering and Placements
Contact details:
Lewisham Children's Social Care
1st Floor Laurence House
1 Catford Road
London
SE6 4RU
Tel: 020 8314 8730
The manager who can approve a Pathway Plan.
Post title: Team Manager
Contact details:
Children's Social Care
1st Floor Laurence House
1 Catford Road
London
SE6 4RU
Where a Looked After Child from another local authority has been placed in the area, the manager to whom the notification should be sent.
Post title: Placement Team Manager
Contact details:
Children's Social Care,
1st Floor Laurence House
1 Catford Road
London
SE6 4RU
E-mail: CSCP&PBusinessSupport@lewisham.gov.uk
Tel: 020 8314 8649
The manager who can authorise a passport application for a Looked After child.
Post title: Team Manager
Contact details:
Children's Social Care
1st Floor Laurence House
1 Catford Road
London
SE6 4RU
The manager who can authorise an application for a Placement Order.
Post title: Service Manager
Contact details:
Children's Social Care
1st Floor Laurence House
1 Catford Road
London
SE6 4RU
The manager who can approve assessments of private foster carers, impose requirements on private foster carers or decide to prohibit someone from acting as a private foster carer.
Post title: Team Manager
Contact details:
Referral and Assessment Team, Children's Social Care
1st Floor Laurence House
1 Catford Road
London
SE6 4RU
Tel: 020 8314 6660
The manager who can authorise:
A placement of a Looked After child in secure accommodation for up to 72 hours without a Secure Accommodation Order; and/or
An application for a Secure Accommodation Order; and/or
A child's continued secure placement on the recommendation of the Secure Accommodation Review Panel; and/or
Applications to renewal Secure Accommodation Orders on the recommendation of the Secure Accommodation Review Panel.
Stephen Kitchman
Post title: Director of Children's Social Care
Contact details:
Lewisham Children's Social Care
1st Floor Laurence House
1 Catford Road
London
SE6 4RU
Tel: 020 8314 8140
The manager who can authorise Special Guardianship as the permanence plan for a Looked After child.
Post title: Service Manager
Contact details:
Children's Social Care
1st Floor Laurence House
1 Catford Road
London
SE6 4RU
The manager who can authorise the level of special guardianship support to be provided, including financial support to special guardians.
Shirley Grounder
Post title: Service Manager Adoption, Looked After Children and Leaving Care Service
Contact details:
Lewisham Children's Social Care
1st Floor Laurence House
1 Catford Road
London
SE6 4RU
Tel: 020 8314 7808
The manager who can authorise the change of placement affecting a Looked After child in Key Stage 4.
Post title: Service Manager
Contact details:
Children's Social Care
1st Floor Laurence House
1 Catford Road
London
SE6 4RU
The person who can authorise Fostering for Adoption.
Stephen Kitchman
Post title: Director of Children's Social Care
Contact details:
Lewisham Children's Social Care
1st Floor Laurence House
1 Catford Road
London
SE6 4RU
Tel: 020 8314 8140
The manager who can authorise the placement of a Looked After child outside the area of the local authority.
Post title: Team Manager
Contact details:
Children's Social Care
1st Floor Laurence House
1 Catford Road
London
SE6 4RU
The manager who can authorise the placement of a Looked After child with a family or friend ('Connected Person') who is not already approved as a foster carer.
Post title: Service Manager, Business Strategy, Fostering and Placements
Contact details:
Lewisham Children's Social Care
1st Floor Laurence House
1 Catford Road
London
SE6 4RU
Tel: 020 8314 8730
The manager who can authorise the placement of a Looked After child with a parent, person with Parental Responsibility or person who held a Residence Order/Child Arrangements Order specifying with whom the child was to reside immediately before the Care Order.
Sarah Williams
Post title: Executive Director for Children and Young People
Contact details:
Children and Young People
5th Floor Laurence House
1 Catford Road
London
SE6 4RU
Tel: 020 8314 8527
Last Updated: October 2, 2024
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