Amendments
October 2024
| Updated Chapters | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Contacts and Referrals | This chapter has been revised throughout in line with revised Working Together to Safeguard Children. |
| Assessments | This chapter has been revised throughout in line with revised Working Together to Safeguard Children. |
| Child Protection Enquiries (Section 47) | This chapter has been revised throughout in line with revised Working Together to Safeguard Children. |
| Applications for Emergency Protection Orders | This chapter has been refreshed. |
| Care and Supervision Proceedings and the Public Law Outline | Information has been added in relation to family group decision-making in Section 1, Introduction and Time Limits and Section 5, Pre-Proceedings, and a link added to chapter Family Networks and Family Group Decision Making Procedure. |
| Death or Serious Injury to a Child (Looked After, Child in Need or Care Leaver Up to and Including the Age of 24) | This chapter has been updated in line with Working Together to Safeguard Children. New Section 3, Death of a Care Leaver Up to and Including the Age of 24 was added. |
| Confidentiality Policy | This chapter has been refreshed. |
| Children and Young People Aged 0-25 with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities | Section 15, Resolving Disagreements has been updated to include information on Guidance: Carry Out an Order in Special Educational Needs Cases. |
| Unaccompanied Migrant Children and Child Victims of Trafficking and Modern Slavery | Links to sources of further information have been updated. |
| Relinquished Children | Links to guidance have been updated. |
| Social Worker Visits to Looked After Children | Section 1, Normal Frequency has been updated in relation to timing of visits when a child is in a long-term foster placement. |
| Notifications of Significant Events | This chapter has been updated in line with Working Together to Safeguard Children, to note that notifications should also be made of the death of a care leaver up to and including the age of 24. |
| Supporting the Education and Promoting the Achievement of Children with a Social Worker, Looked After and Previously Looked After Children | This chapter has been revised in response to Working Together to Safeguard Children (December 2023), and includes the ongoing development of the strategic leadership roles of Virtual School Heads (VSH) in promoting educational outcomes for children aged 0 to 18 who have, or previously had a social worker, and children in kinship care arrangements. |
| Staying Put | This chapter has been updated to note that if a young person in a Staying Put arrangement dies up to and including the age of 24, notifications should be made in accordance with the procedure on Death or Serious Injury to a Child (Looked After, Child in Need or Care Leaver Up to and Including the Age of 24). |
| Children Involved in the Youth Justice System: Additional National Guidance | This chapter has been updated. |
| Applications for Special Guardianship Orders | This chapter has been updated. Information has been added into Section 17, Special Guardian Duty on the Death of the Child, that the relevant local authority should be notified if the child was previously a looked after child. |
| New Chapters and Features | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Children and Young People’s Continuing Care National Framework | This chapter has been added to the procedures manual. |
| Family Networks and Family Group Decision Making | This chapter has been added to the procedures manual. |
| Next Update: April 2025 |
April 2024
| Updated Chapters | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Care and Supervision Proceedings and the Public Law Outline | Links have been added in the Relevant Guidance Section. |
| Access to Records / Subject Access Requests | Links have been added in the Relevant Guidance section. |
| Children and Young People Aged 0-25 with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities | This chapter has been amended to include information from Special Educational Needs and Disability: Improving Local Authority Decision Making - Report of the Administrative Justice Council's Working Group on Special Educational Needs and Disability. |
| Unaccompanied Migrant Children and Child Victims of Trafficking and Modern Slavery | A link has been added in Section 4, Age Assessment to BASW Age Assessment Practice Guidance. In Further Information, a link has been added to Operation Innerste Process: Caseworker Guidance. |
| Families with No Recourse to Public Funds | Section 5.2.5, Providing Support has been updated to reflect the Home Office increase in financial support to individuals waiting to find out if they will be given asylum in the UK. |
| Young Carers | This chapter has been refreshed. |
| Aftercare under Section 117 of the Mental Health Act 1983 | Section 2, Ordinary Residence has been updated in line with case law. |
| Placements in Residential Care | This chapter has been updated to include information from Guidance - Placing Children: Deprivation of Liberty Orders - guidance for providers, social workers and placement commissioners on placing children, subject to a deprivation of liberty order (DoL), in unregistered settings and President of the Family Division Practice Guidance: Placements in Unregistered Children's Homes in England or Unregistered Care Home Services in Wales. |
| Placements in Secure Accommodation on Welfare Grounds | Use of Inherent Jurisdiction to Authorise a Placement Involving a Deprivation of Liberty has been updated throughout in line with Revised Practice Guidance on the Court's Approach to Unregistered Placements (October 2023) and Revised National Listing Protocol for Applications that Seek Deprivation of Liberty Orders Relating to Children under the Inherent Jurisdiction. |
| Placements in Other Arrangements | This chapter has been updated to include information from Guidance - Placing Children: Deprivation of Liberty Orders - guidance for providers, social workers and placement commissioners on placing children, subject to a deprivation of liberty order (DoL), in unregistered settings and President of the Family Division Practice Guidance: Placements in Unregistered Children's Homes in England or Unregistered Care Home Services in Wales. |
| Health and Safety | Additional information has been added about online safety. |
| Supporting the Education and Promoting the Achievement of Children with a Social Worker, Looked After and Previously Looked After Children | This chapter has been refreshed throughout. |
October 2023
| Updated Chapters | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Capacity and Consent | Amendments have been made to reflect case-law in relation to assessing legal capacity. |
| Child in Need Plans and Reviews | Section 3, Reviews of Child in Need Plans has been updated in line with local practice. |
| Care and Supervision Proceedings and the Public Law Outline | Section 8, Court Hearings has been updated in line with A View From the President’s Chambers: Relaunching the PLO (November 2022) and that section should be re-read. In Relevant Guidance a link has been added to Pre-proceedings and Family Justice Hub (Research in Practice). Information has been added into Section 4, Care Orders and Supervisions Orders on a Care Plan of the Child Remaining at Home in relation to Supervision Orders, in line with Public Law Working Group (PLWG) Recommendations to Achieve Best Practice in the Child Protection and Family Justice Systems: Supervision Orders. |
| Children and Young People Aged 0-25 with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities | This chapter has been updated to include information from Guidance: Area SEND Inspections Framework and Handbook (November 2022). Information has been added into Section 15, Resolving Disagreements in relation to legal aid for foster carers and prospective adoptive parents in First Tier Tribunal appeals. |
| Placing and Visiting Children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities or Health Conditions in Long-Term Residential Settings | This chapter has been updated to include information from the UK Social Work Practice in Safeguarding Disabled Children and Young People report. |
| Unaccompanied Migrant Children and Child Victims of Trafficking and Modern Slavery | This chapter has been updated in. Information has been added in to Section 4, Assessment in relation to the National Age Assessment Board. |
| Decision to Look After | Section 3, Section 20 Accommodation has been updated in line with case-law. |
| Remands to Local Authority Accommodation or to Youth Detention Accommodation | This chapter has been amended to include information from Annex to MOJ Circular 2022/03: Additional Information on Remand to Local Authority Accommodation (RLAA). |
| Placements in Other Arrangements | This chapter has been updated in line with the Supported Accommodation (England) Regulations 2023. |
| Health and Safety | Information has been added into Section 6, Diet, Nutrition and Allergies, in relation to allergies. |
| Social Worker Visits to Looked After Children | Section 3, Who Should be Seen? has been updated in relation to providing feedback to staff/carers. |
| Health Care Assessments and Plans | Information has been added into Section 4, Health Plans in relation to allergies. |
| Marriage/Civil Partnership of a Looked After Child | This chapter has been updated in line with the Marriage and Civil Partnership (Minimum Age) Act 2022. |
| Leaving Care and Transition | This chapter has been revised to include information from the revised Ofsted Inspection Framework. |
| Allegations Against Foster Carers | This chapter has been amended in line with revised Keeping Children Safe in Education. New Section 2, The Difference Between an Allegation of Harm and a Concern has been added. |
| Applications for Special Guardianship Orders | This chapter has been updated. Information has been added into Section 6.2 Special Guardianship Applications in Care Proceedings in relation to timing of assessments. |
| Local Contacts | The following details have been updated:
|
| New Chapters and Features | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| 2023 Financial Assistance Section 17 | This PDF document has been added to the procedures manual. |
| Ofsted Inspection Framework | This chapter has been added to the procedures manual. |
March 2023
| Updated Chapters | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Case Records and Retention | This chapter has been updated in relation to the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse. |
| Aftercare under Section 117 of the Mental Health Act 1983 | This chapter has been updated to include a link to Self-harm: Assessment, Management and Preventing Recurrence NICE Guidance in the Further Information section. |
| Positive Relationships and Behaviour Management | This chapter has been updated to incorporate Ofsted feedback. Additional information was added into Section 2, Positive Behaviour Support and Section 5.4, Recording of Sanctions. |
| Applications for Special Guardianship Orders | This chapter has been updated to reflect the updated Public Law Working Group Best Practice Guidance. This includes the new interim guidance, issued by the President of the Family Division, that addresses the lawful extension of care proceedings beyond 26 weeks. Section 6.3, Placement before Special Guardianship Order is made, was added in line with guidance that states where there is no pre-existing relationship between the child and special guardians the child should be placed on an interim basis before the special guardianship order is made. |
October 2022
| Updated Chapters | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Children's Consultation and Participation | This chapter has been refreshed. |
| Care and Supervision Proceedings and the Public Law Outline | This chapter has been amended throughout in line with Management Guidance in Public Law Children Cases: March 2022. |
| Complaints and Representations | This chapter has been refreshed. |
| Recording Policy and Guidelines | This chapter has been refreshed. |
| Children and Young People Aged 0-25 with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities | Section 15, Resolving Disagreements was updated in line with the First Tier Tribunal’s extended powers to hear appeals and make non-binding recommendations about health and social care aspects of Education, Health and Care (EHC) plans, provided those appeals also include education elements. |
| Short Breaks | This chapter has been refreshed. |
| Unaccompanied Migrant Children and Child Victims of Trafficking and Modern Slavery | This chapter has been updated. |
| Aftercare under Section 117 of the Mental Health Act 1983 | This chapter has been amended to refer to Guidance issued by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman and the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman. |
| Decision to Look After | This chapter has been refreshed. |
| Care Planning | This chapter has been refreshed. |
| Placement Planning and Disruption Meetings | This chapter has been refreshed. |
| Placements in Foster Care | This chapter has been refreshed. |
| Placements Outside England and Wales | Section 3, Placements in Scotland, Northern Ireland, Isle of Man and Guernsey has been updated in line with the Cross-border Placements (Effect of Deprivation of Liberty Orders) (Scotland) Regulations 2022 and Cross-Border Placements (Effect of Deprivation of Liberty Orders) (Scotland) Regulations 2022: Practice Guidance, Notice and Undertaking Template. |
| Remands to Local Authority Accommodation or to Youth Detention Accommodation | This chapter has been amended in line with the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022. |
| Contact with Parents/Adults and Siblings | Section 3 Supervised Contact has been updated to reflect a finding by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman that the supervisor's observations of the contact must be clearly recorded in the child's record and shared with the parents within 3 months of the visit. |
| Education of Children with a Social Worker, Looked After and Previously Looked After Children | This chapter has been refreshed. |
| Health Care Assessments and Plans | This chapter has been refreshed. |
| Positive Relationships and Behaviour Management | This chapter has been refreshed. |
| Restrictive Physical Intervention and Restraint | This chapter has been refreshed. |
| Leaving Care and Transition | This chapter has been refreshed. |
| Looked After Children and Young People in Contact with Youth Justice Services | Section 2 Looked After Children who are Arrested has been updated in relation to appropriate adults. |
| Fostering Panel | This chapter has been refreshed. |
| Assessment and Approvals of Foster Carers | This chapter has been refreshed. |
| Supervision and Support of Foster Carers | This chapter has been refreshed. |
| Allegations Against Foster Carers | This chapter has been refreshed. |
| New Chapters and Features | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Equality and Diversity | This chapter has been added to the procedures manual. |
| Risk Assessment and Planning | This chapter has been added to the procedures manual. |
| Providing Personalised Care | This chapter has been added to the procedures manual. |
| Health and Safety | This chapter has been added to the procedures manual. |
| Leisure Activities | This chapter has been added to the procedures manual. |
| Training and Development of Foster Carers | This chapter has been added to the procedures manual. |
March 2022
| Updated Chapters | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Capacity and Consent | Section 4.3, Consent to the Use of Medication to Suppress Puberty has been updated in line with case-law. |
| Care and Supervision Proceedings and the Public Law Outline | This chapter has been revised throughout. |
| Legal Planning/Gateway Meetings | This chapter has been revised throughout. |
| Complaints and Representations | This chapter has been amended to reflect the Children's Statutory Complaint Process: Guide for Practitioners (Local Government & Social Care Ombudsman) - see Relevant Guidance. |
| Electronic Recording of Meetings and Conversations | This chapter has been updated throughout. |
| Use of Social Media Sites by Social Care and Safeguarding Staff | This chapter has been updated throughout. |
| Children and Young People Aged 0-25 with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities | This chapter has been refreshed and updated and includes links to related reports from the House of Commons Library (see Section 16, Further Information and Statutory Guidance). |
| Short Breaks | Information in relation to the prohibition on looked after children under the age of 16 being placed in 'other arrangements' placements for the purposes of a short break has been added into Section 7, Short Break Settings. |
| Unaccompanied Migrant Children and Child Victims of Trafficking and Modern Slavery | A link has been added to the Independent Child Trafficking Guardians Referral Form. In areas where the ICTG service has been implemented, if the social worker considers a child to be a potential victim of modern slavery, they should refer them to the ICTG service by completing the online referral form. Section 6.1, Placement Options has been updated in relation to placements in 'other arrangements'. Section 4, Assessment has been updated in relation to Age Assessments. |
| Decision to Look After and Care Planning | Section 1.3, Section 20 Accommodation has been revised in line with the Public Law Working Group (PLWG) Recommendations to Achieve Best Practice in the Child Protection and Family Justice Systems. |
| Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority Claims for Looked After Children | This chapter has been refreshed and a link has been added to House of Commons Library Briefing Paper: Criminal Injuries Compensation for Victims of Child Abuse. |
| Placements with Parents | Section 1, Planned Placements has been updated to add information on placements in 'other arrangements'. |
| Placements in Residential Care | This chapter has been updated to note that from September 2021, looked after children under 16 years of age cannot be accommodated in unregulated independent or semi-independent placements. |
| Out of Area Placements | Section 6, Placements in Wales has been updated in line with updated Children Act 1989 Guidance and Regulations - Volume 2: Care Planning, Placement and Case Review. |
| Placements Outside England and Wales | Section 3, Placements in Scotland, Northern Ireland, Isle of Man and Guernsey has been updated in line with case-law and updated Children Act 1989 Guidance and Regulations - Volume 2: Care Planning, Placement and Case Review. |
| Remands to Local Authority Accommodation or to Youth Detention Accommodation | Information in relation to children under the age of 16 being placed in 'other arrangements' placements has been added into Section 3, Local Authority Accommodation. |
| Education of Children with a Social Worker, Looked After and Previously Looked After Children | This chapter has been significantly amended to reflect the 'Review of Sexual Abuse in Schools and Colleges (Ofsted)'; updated 'Keeping Children Safe in Education' (see Scope of this Chapter) and Sexual Harassment in Education – Briefing (House of Parliament Library) (see Section 8.2, Protecting looked after children from sexual harassment and child-on-child abuse). The chapter has also been amended to reflect Promoting the Education of Children with a Social Worker: Virtual School Head Role Extension. Information on the School Admission Code has been added in Section 6, When a Child Needs or Joins a New School. |
| Restrictive Physical Intervention | A link has been added to Guidance: Positive Environments Where Children Can Flourish (Ofsted). |
| Applications for Special Guardianship Orders | Information has been added on the School Admission Code. |
| New Chapters and Features | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Placements in Other Arrangements | This chapter has been added to the procedures manual. |
October 2021
| Updated Chapters | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Capacity and Consent | A new Section 5.4, Consent to Life-ending Withdrawal of Medical Support has been added, to reflect High Court judgments. Section 2.1, Consent to Information Sharing has been updated to reflect revisions contained in the statutory guidance Working Together to Safeguard Children. |
| Contacts and Referrals | This chapter has been reviewed and updated to reflect guidance from the refreshed Working Together to Safeguard Children. |
| Assessments | This chapter has been amended to add a new Section 15, 16 and 17 year olds who may be Homeless and/or require Accommodation and reflects the issue of Homelessness and the vulnerability of young people identified in Working Together to Safeguard Children. |
| Care and Supervision Proceedings and the Public Law Outline | This chapter has been updated to reflect Practice Guidance on Special Guardianship (Family Justice Council, June 2020). See in particular Section 9, Expectations of the Local Authority by the Court. |
| Electronic Recording of Meetings and Conversations | Links to guidance have been updated. |
| Children and Young People Aged 0-25 with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities | This chapter has been amended. Section 15, Resolving Disagreements has been updated to reference recent case-law holding that, as part of the mediation process, a parent/child/young person is entitled to bring along any supporter they wish, including a lawyer. |
| Unaccompanied Migrant Children and Child Victims of Trafficking and Modern Slavery | Minor amendments have been made to this chapter in line with the UK's exit from the EEA. |
| Families with No Recourse to Public Funds | This chapter has been revised throughout to take account of the UK's exit from the EEA. |
| Prevention of Homelessness and Provision of Accommodation for 16 and 17 Year Olds who may be Homeless and/or Require Accommodation; and Duty to Refer | This chapter has been revised throughout. |
| Placements in Secure Accommodation on Welfare Grounds | This chapter has been updated. A new Section 10, Use of Inherent Jurisdiction to Authorise a Placement Involving a Deprivation of Liberty has been added. |
| Delegation of Authority to Foster Carers and Residential Workers | A new Section 7.4, Consent to Life-ending Withdrawal of Medical Support has been added, to reflect a High Court judgment. |
| Leaving Care and Transition | This chapter has been updated with a link to Joint Housing Protocols for Care Leavers: good practice advice (DfE and MHCLG) to support the development of joint protocols that can help local authorities to meet the accommodation needs of care leavers. Additional content has therefore been added in a new Section 8, Joint Housing Protocols for Care Leaver as well as Section 7, Reviews of Pathway Plans and Section 13, Where Care Leavers Live in or Move to a Different Local Authority Area. |
| Responsibilities of the Local Authority to Former Looked After Children and Young People in Custody | This chapter has been updated to reflect the Section 2.6 Care leavers leaving custody in Joint Housing Protocols for Care Leavers: good practice advice (DfE and MHCLG) (see Section 3.9, Planning for Release). |
| Applications for Special Guardianship Orders | This chapter has been updated to reflect Practice Guidance on Special Guardianship published by the Family Justice Council (June 2020). See Section 6.2, Special Guardianship Applications in Care Proceedings and new Section 16, Special Guardianship Orders in International Cases. |
| Court Reports in Placement Order Applications and Adoption/Special Guardianship Guidance | In Section 3, Special Guardianship - Matters to be Dealt with in Report for the Court, a link has been added to Family Justice Council, May 2019. |
| List of Agency Decision Makers, Designated Managers and Nominated Officers | This chapter has been updated. |
| New Chapters and Features | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Aftercare under Section 117 of the Mental Health Act 1983 | This chapter has been added to the procedures manual. |
| Transracial Placements - Fostering and Adoption Service | This chapter has been added to the procedures manual. |
March 2021
| Updated Chapters | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority Claims for Looked After Children | Minor amendments were made. In Section 7, Appealing Decisions the address for the First Tier Tribunal has been updated. |
| Education of Looked After and Previously Looked After Children | This chapter has been updated to reflect changes from the revised Working Together to Safeguard Children (minor amendments to the bullet points in 8.1). |
| Holidays and School Trips In and Outside the UK | This guidance has been reviewed and updated throughout. Section 2.3, Insurance Cover has been updated to include details of how to apply for a Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) which provides access to reduced cost or free medical insurance in the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland. Section 2.4, Obtaining a Passport has also been updated to link to reissued Home Office guidance for Local Authorities Children's Services Departments when Applying for Passports on Behalf of Children. |
| Leaving Care and Transition | In Section 9.3, The 16-19 Bursary Fund and Higher Education Bursary, the link has been updated. |
| New Chapters and Features | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Capacity and Consent | This chapter has been added to the procedures manual. |
| Storage of Data on Mobile Devices | This chapter has been added to the procedures manual. |
| Use of Social Media Sites by Social Care and Safeguarding Staff | This chapter has been added to the procedures manual. |
November 2020
| Updated Chapters | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Placements in Secure Accommodation on Welfare Grounds | Contact details have been updated in Section 6, Placements of Children under 13 years. |
October 2020
| Updated Chapters | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Assessments | This chapter has been updated in line with the digital referral system for reporting potential victims of Modern Slavery. |
| Complaints and Representations | This chapter has been refreshed throughout. |
| Unaccompanied Migrant Children and Child Victims of Trafficking and Modern Slavery | This chapter has been updated to take account of the new NRM digital referral form to report Modern Slavery. Section 11, Further Information has also been updated to include a link to Statutory Guidance Modern Slavery: How to Identify and Support Victims. |
| Families with No Recourse to Public Funds | This chapter has been refreshed throughout. |
| Placements in Secure Accommodation on Welfare Grounds | Section 6, Placements of Children under 13 years has been updated following publication of revised DfE guidance. |
| Notifications of Significant Events | This chapter has been refreshed throughout. |
| Local Contacts | The following details have been updated:
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