Amendments

In December 2024, links to guidance documents were updated.

This chapter was updated in December 2024.

This chapter was refreshed throughout in December 2024.

This chapter was refreshed in December 2024.

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

This chapter was updated in December 2024, to reflect revised Working Together to Safeguard Children.

In December 2024, information was added on how to request information about an applicant from Ofsted. 

This chapter was updated throughout in December 2024, in line with revised Working Together to Safeguard Children. 

In December 2024, information was added in relation to Ofsted and CQC Joint Registration Guidance: Children's Homes and Health Care.

This chapter was refreshed in December 2024.

This chapter was refreshed in December 2024.

This chapter was updated in December 2024.

In December 2024, Section 4.2, Procedural Fairness was updated in line with case-law.

This chapter was refreshed in December 2024.

This chapter was updated in December 2024.

This chapter was refreshed throughout in December 2024.

In December 2024, a link was added to Ofsted and CQC Joint Registration Guidance: Children's Homes and Health Care.

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

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

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

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

This chapter was refreshed in June 2024.

This chapter was added to the procedures manual in June 2024.

A link was added to the scope box in June 2024.

In June 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 June 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 June 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.

In June 2024 information was added in relation to family group decision-making in Section 1, Introduction and Time Limits, and Section 5, Pre-Proceedings.

In June 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. 

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

This chapter was updated in June 2024 to add a link to Supported Accommodation framework.

This chapter was updated in June 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 June 2024 and new links added.

This chapter was updated throughout in June 2024.

In June 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.

This document was replaced with an updated version in June 2024.