Developing your own monthly return of 'looked after children'

This guidance is for Local Authorities (HSS Trusts in Northern Ireland).

You can make your monthly return of looked after children by either using the prescribed form CTF15 (PDF 40K)/CTF15(Child)(PDF 35K) or the guidance given here.

This guidance tells you what information we require from you on your monthly return. You will see that we have not specified how you should collate the information or produce the return. It’s up to you to decide on the most appropriate method for your organisation. For example, you may choose to create your own template or spreadsheet.

Of course copying the format and how the information required is presented on the CTF15 may be the most straightforward way of ensuring we get the information we need in the way we need it.

What you need to do

Each month, you must tell us about the looked after children (in Scotland, looked after and accommodated) who were born on or after 1 September 2002 and:

came into your care for the first time during this month
were looked after on their seventh birthday
were included in an earlier return, but for whom there is no longer an appropriate person with parental responsibility

Where and how to send the return

Send the return by fax to 0191 2251282.

What information you need to give us

On page 1

Give us the details about the Local Authority.

From page 2

List the names of all the children included in this return.

Then

Give us information about each child.

Finally

Make sure you have signed and dated the certificate (on page 1) to confirm that the return is correct and complete.

Important

Please make sure that:

Your Local Authority unique identifier is shown on every page.
You give us all the information we ask for in exactly the same order as we ask for it in this guidance. If you do not do this we will have to send the return back to you.

The complete return must be sent to the Child Trust Fund Office no later than the 17th day of each month.

If you need more help please refer to the guidance for Local Authorities which is on our website Child Trust Fund and Local Authorities and Health and Social Services Trusts under the heading 'Guidance and fact sheets' or contact the Child Trust Fund Office direct on Tel 0191 224 7073.

If you are not sure what your Local Authority unique identifier is, please refer to Annex A of the relevant guidance notes.

How to prepare page 1 of your monthly return

Page 1 must include both

Local Authority details
Certificate

What information we need from you	How the information should be displayed on your monthly return
	Monthly return of looked after children for period to <enter date in following format: 06/MM/YYYY>

Give us the following details in this order:

What information we need from you	How the information should be displayed on your monthly return
1. Name of Local Authority (in full)	1. <enter the full name of Local Authority>
2. Address of Local Authority	2. <enter the full address>
3. Local Authority unique identifier	3. Local Authority:<enter the Local Authority unique identifier>

Give us details about the liaison officer who is responsible for the return, in this order:

What information we need from you	How the information should be displayed on your monthly return
4. Name of liaison officer	4. <enter liaison officer’s name>
5. Telephone number	5. <enter liaison officer’s telephone number>
6. Fax number	6. <enter liaison officer’s fax number>
7. Email address	7. <enter liaison officer’s e-mail address>

What information we need from you	Certificate
Tell us the number of children included in this return (enter ‘0’ if no children to report) and create and sign the certificate.	Number of forms CTF15(Child) included in this return = <enter number of children included in this return> Number of these children for whom there is no appropriate person with parental responsibility. <enter number of children for whom there is no appropriate person with parental responsibility> Number of children included on this return who were looked after on their seventh birthday <enter number of children who were looked after on their seventh birthday>
	I confirm that the information given on this return is correct and complete.
To validate the return the liaison officer must sign and date the bottom of the first page. By signing the return, the liaison officer confirms that the information given is correct and complete for every child listed on the return a separate sheet has been prepared listing the child’s details	<liaison officer must sign here> <enter date certificate signed here>

What information we need from you

Certificate

Tell us the number of children included in this return (enter ‘0’ if no children to report) and create and sign the certificate.

Number of forms CTF15(Child) included in this return = <enter number of children included in this return>

Number of these children for whom there is no appropriate person with parental responsibility. <enter number of children for whom there is no appropriate person with parental responsibility>

Number of children included on this return who were looked after on their seventh birthday <enter number of children who were looked after on their seventh birthday>

I confirm that the information given on this return is correct and complete.

To validate the return the liaison officer must sign and date the bottom of the first page.
By signing the return, the liaison officer confirms that

the information given is correct and complete
for every child listed on the return a separate sheet has been prepared listing the child’s details

How to prepare page 2 of your monthly return

List all of the children included in this return on page 2.
We ask for more details about each child on the CTF15(Child).
We will use the list on page 2 to make sure that we have received a CTF15(Child) for each child.
Although the list does not have to be in alphabetical order, you must prepare a CTF15(Child) for each child in the same order as you list them here. This means that the first child on the list on page 2 must be numbered 1 on the corresponding CTF15(Child).

What information we need from you	How the information should be displayed on your monthly return
Local Authority unique identifier	Local Authority:<enter the Local Authority unique identifier>
	List all children included in this return
Enter the number (starting with ‘1’), followed by the child’s full name	For example: 1. <enter child’s full name> 2. <enter child’s full name> 3. <enter child’s full name> 4. <enter child’s full name> 5. <enter child’s full name> 6. <enter child’s full name> 7. <enter child’s full name> 8. <enter child’s full name> 9. <enter child’s full name> and so on.

How to complete the CTF15(child)

You must make sure that each child’s details fit on one page only.
Do not send us more than one child’s details on any page.
Start with the first child that appears on your list.

What information we need from you	How the information should be displayed on your return
Insert date of the monthly return	Monthly return of looked after children for period to <enter date in the following format: 06/MM/YYYY>
Local Authority unique identifier	Local Authority:<enter the Local Authority unique identifier>
This number must tally with the child’s position on the list you started on page 2	Child number: <enter number>
Child’s details	Child’s details
1. Child’s surname	1. <enter surname>
2. Child’s first name(s)	2. <enter first names(s)>
3. Child’s sex	3. <enter gender, male or female >
4. Child’s date of birth	4. <enter date in following format: DD/MM/YYYY>
5. Home Office reference number (if appropriate)	5. <enter number, between 7 and 10 digits>
6. Date child was first looked after by this authority	6. <enter date in following format: DD/MM/YYYY>
7. Was the child looked after on their 7th birthday?	7. <if no, enter X in no box and go to question 9> Put an x in the no box if child is under age 7 <if yes, enter X in yes box> And go to question 8
8. Is this the first time you have reported the child?	8 - enter X in the appropriate [Yes / No] box’
9. Has the child used a different name to the one given above?	9. <if yes, enter full details including surname and first name >
10. Has the child died during the period reported?	10. <if yes, enter Date of death <date in following format: DD/MM/YYYY> <if yes, go straight to q14 and enter the personal representative’s full name and full address, including post code>
11. Birth parent’s details (usually the mother)	11. <enter MR,MRS,MISS,MS or other title and enter the birth parents’ details including full name and full address, including post code>
12. Does an appropriate person have parental responsibility? 13 If there is no one with parental responsibility tell us which condition applies. If you are not sure what the term ‘parental responsibility’ means or which condition(s) might apply, see page 2 of the CTF15 Notes. (	12. <if yes, enter X in yes box> and go to q14 <if no, enter X in no box> and go to q13 < >
14. Contact details If you think HMRC should not write to this person, enter a x in the box .	. <enter MR,MRS,MISS,MS or other title and enter the contact details including full name and full address, including post code > <enter X here> if you do not want HMRC to write to this person
If you need to give us any additional information about the child (for example, the child’s unique reference number, cultural or religious wishes or beliefs of the child that may affect the type of account opened.	Put x in box and <enter additional information> on a separate sheet and include your unique identifier and the CTF15(Child) number.