Amendments

This chapter was updated in March 2025.

This chapter was added to the manual in March 2025.

This chapter was updated in March 2025.

In March 2025, Section 15, Resolving Disagreements was updated in line with case law.

In March 2025, links were added to additional sources of guidance.

In March 2025, links to sources of further information were updated.

In March 2025, information was added in relation to Ofsted and CQC Joint Registration Guidance: Children’s Homes and Health Care.

This chapter was updated in March 2025.

This chapter was updated in March 2025.

In March 2025, updates were made to reflect the Homelessness Code of Guidance - Chapter 22: Care Leavers (updated 3 May 2024) which sets out the expectation that authorities should have in place joint protocols which clearly outline jointly held corporate parenting responsibilities for care leavers. See Section 11, Joint Housing Protocols for Care Leavers.

This chapter was updated in March 2025.

This chapter was updated in March 2025.

This chapter was updated in March 2025.

This link to the Local Resources was added to the manual in March 2025.

This chapter was added to the manual in March 2025.

This chapter was updated in March 2025 to include a link to the Disclosure and Barring Service Guidance Leaflets - GOV.UK in the Related Guidance Section.

In March 2025, this chapter was replaced with a updated version.

This chapter was updated in March 2025.

This chapter was updated in March 2025.

This chapter was updated in March 2025 to include a link to the Disclosure and Barring Service Guidance Leaflets - GOV.UK in Section 4.5, Concluding the Investigation.

This chapter was updated in March 2025.

In March 2025, a link was added to Ofsted and CQC Joint Registration Guidance: Children’s Homes and Health Care.

This chapter was added to the manual in September 2024.

In September 2024, information was added in relation to family group decision-making in Sections 1, Introduction and Time Limits and Section 5, Pre-Proceedings, and a link was added to chapter Family Networks and Family Group Decision Making.

This chapter was updated in September 2024, 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).

In September 2024, this chapter was 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. 

In September 2024, Section 10, Use of Inherent Jurisdiction to Authorise a Placement Involving a Deprivation of Liberty was 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.

This chapter was refreshed in September 2024, to include a link to the Ealing Council Transitions Protocol for Young People Leaving Care.

In September 2024, Section 4, Different Situations whereby Children may be Living with Family and Friend Carers was updated to include information about Ukrainian children being cared for by family and friends in the UK.

This chapter was refreshed in September 2024.

In September 2024, Section 15, Resolving Disagreements was updated to include information on Guidance: Carry Out an Order in Special Educational Needs Cases. Also included was 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.

This chapter was refreshed in September 2024 and should be re-read.

In September 2024, a link was added in Section 4, Age Assessment to BASW Age Assessment Practice Guidance. In Further Information, a link was added to Operation Innerste Process: Caseworker Guidance.

In September 2024, information on Ofsted checks was added in to Section 5.1, Checks.

In September 2024, this chapter was 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. 

This chapter was updated in September 2024. Information was 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.

This chapter was updated in September 2024.

In December 2023, this chapter was refreshed throughout.

Section 10, Use of Inherent Jurisdiction to Authorise a Placement Involving a Deprivation of Liberty was updated in December 2023 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.

Section 2, Ordinary Residence was updated in December 2023 in line with case law.

Section 5.2.5, Providing Support was updated in December 2023 to reflect the Home Office increase in financial support to individuals waiting to find out if they will be given asylum in the UK.

In December 2023, this chapter was refreshed throughout.

This chapter was updated in December 2023. Information in relation to the National Age Assessment Board was added into Section 4, Assessment.

In December 2023, information was 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.

In December 2023, amendments were made to reflect case-law in relation to assessing legal capacity.

In December 2023, this chapter was refreshed throughout.

This chapter was updated in December 2023. Information in relation to legal aid for foster carers and prospective adoptive parents in First Tier Tribunal appeals was added into Section 15, Resolving Disagreements.