Amendments

This chapter was revised throughout in November 2025.

In November 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.

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

This chapter was revised in November 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 November 2025, information was added in Section 7.1, 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 November 2025 this chapter was updated to include information from the Ministry of Justice Youth Remand Concordat and the Youth Justice Charter.

This chapter was updated in November 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.

In November 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 revised in November 2025 to include information from the Criminal Injuries Compensation: A Guide.

In November 2025 this chapter was updated with guidance from the Youth Remand Concordat which gives guidance and principles for Local Authorities and key agencies in working with children through the remand process and 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.

In May 2025, Section 15, Resolving Disagreements was updated to include information on Guidance: Carry Out an Order in Special Educational Needs Cases. Section 15.1, Registering an appeal with the First-tier Tribunal (Special Educational Needs (SEN) and Disability) was updated in line with case law.

This chapter was updated in May 2025, with a link to DBS guidance leaflets - GOV.UK in Section 3.4, Concluding the Investigation. 

In May 2025, this chapter was added to the maunal.

In May 2025, this chapter was updated in line with revised government guidance.

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

In May 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 updated in May 2025, to include a link to the Disclosure and Barring Service Guidance Leaflets - GOV.UK in Section 4.5, Concluding the Investigation.

This chapter was updated in May 2025, with a link to DBS guidance leaflets - GOV.UK in the Related Guidance Section.

In May 2025, this chapter was updated throughout to reflect supported accommodation for 16-17 year olds becoming regulated by Ofsted.

In May 2025, this chapter was updated with Ofsted and CQC Joint Registration Guidance: Children’s Homes and Health Care.

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

This chapter was revised in May 2025, in line with How Local Authorities and Children's Homes Can Achieve Stability and Permanence for Children with Complex Needs (Ofsted). In Section 2.1, Additional Considerations Where a Child Has Multiple Needs information was added about how to access pre-application advice on caring for children with complex needs (Ofsted) if you are thinking about opening a children's social care service for children with complex needs.

In May 2025, this chapter was added to the manual.

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

This chapter was updated in May 2025, in line with the guidance and terminology used in Working Together to Safeguard Children.

In May 2025, this chapter was updated.

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

In May 2025, Section 5.2, Procedural Fairness was updated in line with case-law.

This chapter was refreshed in November 2024.

This chapter was refreshed in November 2024.

In November 2024, minor amendments were made throughout this chapter in line with local practice.

In November 2024 this chapter was refreshed.

This chapter was updated in November 2024.

This chapter was updated in November 2024, to reflect Championing Kinship Care: The National Kinship Care strategy.

In November 2024 information on Ofsted checks was added in to Section 4, Checks and References.

In November 2024, links to national guidance were updated.

In November 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 November 2024, minor amendments were made throughout this chapter in line with local practice.

In November 2024, this chapter was updated in line with local practice.

This was updated in November 2024.

In May 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 throughout in May 2024.

This chapter was updated in May 2024. Information was added into Section 21, 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 refreshed in May 2024.

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

This chapter was updated throughout in May 2024.

This chapter was amended in May 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.

Section 3, Section 20 Accommodation was updated in line with case-law in May 2024.

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

In May 2024, this chapter was updated throughout in line with Supported Accommodation (England) Regulations 2023.

This chapter was updated in May 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 Death or Serious Injury to a Child (Looked After, Child in Need or Care Leaver Up to and Including the Age of 24).

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

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

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

This chapter was reviewed and amended in May 2024, to ensure it was in line with Durham's 'How We Practice in Durham' Guide and 'Language That Care's' document. 

In May 2024, Section, 10 Use of Inherent Jurisdiction to Authorise a Placement Involving a Deprivation of Liberty 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.

In May 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.

Section 5.2.5, Providing Support was updated in November 2023 to reflect the Home Office increase in financial support to individuals waiting to find out if they will be given asylum in the UK.

In November 2023, this chapter was refreshed. A link to 'National Early Permanence Practice Standards (Coram Centre for Early Permanence)' was also added. 

This chapter was refreshed in November 2023 in line with local practice.

In November 2023, this chapter was updated to include information from the UK Social Work Practice in Safeguarding Disabled Children and Young People report.

In November 2023, information in relation to allergies was added into Section 6 Diet, Nutrition and Allergies.

In November 2023, this chapter was updated in line with local practice.

In November 2023, this chapter was amended to include information from Annex to MOJ Circular 2022/03: Additional Information on Remand to Local Authority Accommodation (RLAA).

In November 2023, this chapter was amended in line with revised Keeping Children Safe in Education. A new Section 2, The Difference Between an Allegation of Harm and a Concern was also added.

In November 2023, additional information was added in to Further Information.

This chapter was amended in November 2023 to incorporate Ofsted feedback. Additional information was also added into Section 2, Positive Behaviour Support and Section 5.4, Recording of Sanctions.

In November 2023, this chapter was updated in line with local practice.

In November 2023, minor amendments were made throughout in line with local practice.

In November 2023, information in relation to allergies was added into Section 4, Health Plans.

In November 2023, this chapter was updated to reflect the updated Public Law Working Group Best Practice Guidance. Information in relation to timing of assessments was added into Section 7, Special Guardianship Applications in Care Proceedings.

In November 2023, information 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 was added into Section 4, Care Orders and Supervisions Orders on a Care Plan of the Child Remaining at Home.

This chapter was updated in November 2023. Information in relation to the National Age Assessment Board was added into Section 4, Assessment.

This chapter was amended in November 2023 to note that with effect from 1 April 2023, the leaving care allowance increased from £2,000 to £3,000, and to include information from the revised Ofsted inspection framework. 

In November 2023, amendments were made to reflect case-law in relation to assessing legal capacity.

This chapter was updated in November 2023 to include information from Guidance: Area SEND Inspections Framework and Handbook (November 2022). Information in relation to legal aid for foster carers and prospective adoptive parents in First Tier Tribunal appeals was added into Section 15, Resolving Disagreements.