Amendments

2024

October 2024

Unaccompanied Migrant Children and Child Victims of Trafficking and Modern Slavery	In October 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.
Children's Services Policies, Values and Principles	In October 2024, this chapter was revised in line with Working Together to Safeguard Children.
Family and Friends Care/Kinship Care	This chapter was updated in October 2024.
Applications for Special Guardianship Orders	This chapter was updated in October 2024. Information was added into Section 14, 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.
Notifications of Significant Events	In October 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.
Staying Put	This chapter was updated in October 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 (trix please link) Death or Serious Injury to a Child (Looked After, Child in Need or Care Leaver Up to and Including the Age of 24).
Contacts and Referrals	This chapter was updated in October 2024.
Placements with Connected Persons	This chapter was refreshed in October 2024.
Child Protection Enquiries (Section 47)	This chapter was updated in October 2024.
Assessment and Approvals of Foster Carers	In October 2024, information on Ofsted checks was added in to Section 5.1, Checks.
Aftercare Under Section 117 of the Mental Health Act 1983	In October 2024 this chapter was refreshed.
Personal Budgets and Direct Payments	This chapter was refreshed in October 2024.
Action to be Taken following the Death of, or Serious Injury to, a Child (including Children in Care or Care Leaver Up to and Including the Age of 24)	In October 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.
Supporting the Education and Promoting the Achievement of Children with a Social Worker, Looked After and Previously Looked After Children	In October 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.
Family Networks and Family Group Decision Making	This chapter was added in October 2024.
Children and Young People’s Continuing Care National Framework	This chapter was added in October 2024.
Children and Young People Aged 0-25 with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities	In October 2024, Section 15, Resolving Disagreements was updated to include information on Guidance: Carry Out an Order in Special Educational Needs Cases.
Assessments	This chapter was added in October 2024.
Care and Supervision Proceedings and the Public Law Outline	In October 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 added to chapter Family Networks and Family Group Decision Making.
Placements in Secure Accommodation on Welfare Grounds	In October 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.