Amendments

This chapter was updated in April 2025, to include a link to the Disclosure and Barring Service Guidance Leaflets - GOV.UK. in Section 4.5, Concluding the Investigation.

In April 2025, Section 15.1, Registering an appeal with the First-tier Tribunal (Special Educational Needs (SEN) and Disability) was updated in line with case law.

In April 2025, a link was added to Ofsted and CQC Joint Registration Guidance: Children's Homes and Health Care.

In April 2025, links to sources of further information were updated.

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

This chapter was updated in April 2025, to include a link to the Disclosure and Barring Service Guidance Leaflets - GOV.UK. in the Related Guidance Section.

In April 2025, links were added to additional sources of guidance.

In April 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 April 2025.

In April 2025, information was added in relation to Ofsted and CQC Joint Registration Guidance: Children's Homes and Health Care.

In October 2024, this chapter was updated 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.

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

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

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

In October 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.

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

This chapter was updated in October 2024.

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.

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. 

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).

This chapter was updated in October 2024.

This chapter was refreshed in October 2024.

This chapter was updated in October 2024.

In October 2024 this chapter was refreshed.

This chapter was refreshed in October 2024.

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.

This chapter was added in October 2024.

This chapter was added in October 2024.

This chapter was added in October 2024.

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.