Amendments

In December 2025, information was added in Section 6.3, Placement before a Special Guardianship Order (SGO) is Granted, to highlight that the DfE has extended the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund, initially until March 2027, with a new fair access limit of £3000.

In December 2025, information was added in Section 3, Examples of Adoption Support, to highlight that the DfE has extended the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund, initially until March 2027, with a new fair access limit of £3000.

This chapter was revised in December 2025.

The Government guidance ‘Report the death or serious harm of a child or care leaver’ has been updated to provide information on what is needed when reporting incidents involving children who have died or been seriously harmed, and abuse or neglect is known or suspected, including looked-after children and care leavers. The Serious Incident Notification Guide for local authorities has been added to this chapter.

In December 2025, this chapter was updated with guidance from the Youth Remand Concordat, which provides principles and guidance for Local Authorities and key agencies in working with children through the remand process. The chapter has also been updated with information from the Youth Justice Charter - Know Your Rights in the Youth Justice System. The Youth Justice Charter sets out what children can expect at each stage of the youth justice system — helping them understand who does what, their rights, and what to do if the standards are not met.

This chapter was updated in December 2025 to include information for the Restraint and restrictive practices: positive environments for children – Ofsted: social care.

This chapter was revised in December 2025 to include information from the Criminal Injuries Compensation: A Guide.

This chapter was revised throughout in December 2025.

This chapter was updated in December 2025 to include information from the Ministry of Justice Youth Remand Concordat, and with information from the Youth Justice Charter - Know Your Rights in the Youth Justice System. The Youth Justice Charter sets out what children can expect at each stage of the youth justice system — helping them understand who does what, what their rights are, and what to do if the standards are not met.

This chapter was revised in June 2025 in line with How Local Authorities and Children’s Homes Can Achieve Stability and Permanence for Children with Complex Needs (Ofsted).

In June 2025, information was added to Section 1, Prevention of Homelessness and Provision of Accommodation for 16 and 17 Year Old Young People who may be Homeless and/or Require Accommodation, from Good decisions: supporting children aged 16 and 17 who need help when they are homeless (GOV.UK) and a section was added around Domestic Abuse and Homelessness.

In June 2025, information was added from How Local Authorities Can Help Young Carers (Ofsted Blog) and additional resources were added to Further Information.

In June 2025, information was added into Section 9, Accommodation, Bedroom Space and Sharing in relation to bunk beds.

This chapter was updated in June 2025 to include a link to the Disclosure and Barring Service Guidance Leaflets (GOV.UK) in Section 3.5, Concluding the Investigation. 

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

In June 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 8, Joint Housing Protocols for Care Leavers.

This chapter was added to the manual in June 2025 with details of the latest joint support from Stockport job centre, Preston service centre and Stockport Council Leaving Care Team.

In June 2025, links have been added to Youth Remand Concordat - Guidance and principles to follow a joint approach throughout the youth remand process for local and national partners and Delivering the best for girls in custody - an independent review into placements and care for girls in the Children and Young People Secure Estate.

This chapter was updated in June 2025 to reflect Granting Leaves of Absence in Working Together to Improve School Attendance statutory guidance, which states that generally, the DfE does not consider a need or desire for a holiday or other absence for the purpose of leisure and recreation to be an exceptional circumstance for leave of absence.

This chapter was updated in June 2025 with a link to DBS guidance leaflets (GOV.UK) in the Related Guidance Section. 

This chapter was updated in June 2025 with a link to DBS guidance leaflets (GOV.UK) in Section 4.4, Concluding the Investigation.

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.