Amendments

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

In July 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 July 2024, to reflect Championing Kinship Care: The National Kinship Care strategy. 

In July 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.

This chapter was updated in July 2024.

This chapter was updated in July 2024.

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

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

In July 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.

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

In July 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 new chapter was added in July 2024.

This new chapter was added in July 2024.

This chapter was updated in July 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 July 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.

This chapter was updated in July 2024.

In July 2024, information was added to Section 3, Stage One-The Pre-Assessment Process, with details on how to request information about an applicant from Ofsted.

This chapter was updated in January 2024.

Section 5.2.5, Providing Support was updated in January 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 2, Ordinary Residence was updated in January 2024 in line with case law.

In January 2024, this chapter was refreshed and a link was added to National Early Permanence Practice Standards (Coram Centre for Early Permanence). 

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

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

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

In January 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 and President of the Family Division Practice Guidance: Placements in Unregistered Children's Homes in England or Unregistered Care Home Services in Wales.

In January 2024, 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.

This chapter was amended in January 2024 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.