Amendments

This chapter was updated in November 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.

In November 2024, this chapter was revised in line with Working Together to Safeguard Children.

This chapter was refreshed in November 2024.

This chapter was added in November 2024.

This chapter was updated in November 2024 to reflect Championing Kinship Care: The National Kinship Care strategy.

In November 2024, a link to BASW Age Assessment Practice Guidance was added in Section 4, Age Assessment. A link to Operation Innerste Process: Caseworker Guidance was added in Further Information. Links to sources of further information were also updated.

This chapter was added in November 2024.

In November 2024, information on Ofsted checks was added into Section 5.1, Checks.

This chapter was updated in November 2024 in line with revised Working Together to Safeguard Children.

In November 2024, this chapter was refreshed.

In November 2024, this chapter was refreshed.

In November 2024 this chapter was 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.

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

This chapter was updated in November 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 Death or Serious Injury to a Child (Looked After, Child in Need or Care Leaver Up to and Including the Age of 24) Procedure.

This chapter was updated in November 2024 in line with revised Working Together to Safeguard Children.

In November 2024, information was added in relation to family group decision-making in Section 1, Introduction and Time Limits and Section 5, Pre-Proceedings. A link was also added to the Family Networks and Family Group Decision Making Procedure.

This chapter was updated in November 2024 in line with revised Working Together to Safeguard Children.

Section 5.2.5, Providing Support was updated in May 2024 to reflect the Home Office increase in financial support to individuals waiting to find out if they will be given asylum in the UK.

Section 10, Use of Inherent Jurisdiction to Authorise a Placement Involving a Deprivation of Liberty was updated throughout in May 2024 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. And 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.

In May 2024, additional information was added about online safety.

In May 2024, this chapter was amended in line with the revised Working Together to Safeguard Children.

This chapter was updated in May 2024 in line with Working Together to Safeguard Children. A new Section 3, Death of a Care Leaver Up to and Including the Age of 24 was also added.

Section 2, Ordinary Residence was updated in May 2024 in line with case law.

In May 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. 

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

In May 2024, this chapter was 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.

This chapter was refreshed in May 2024.