Amendments
May 2024
| Updated Chapters | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Children's Services Policies, Values and Principles | This chapter has been revised in line with Working Together to Safeguard Children. |
| Contacts and Referrals | This chapter has been revised in line with updated Working Together to Safeguard Children (December 2023). |
| Assessments | This chapter has been revised in line with updated Working Together to Safeguard Children (December 2023). |
| Child Protection Enquiries (Section 47) | This chapter has been revised in line with updated Working Together to Safeguard Children (December 2023). |
| Care and Supervision Proceedings and the Public Law Outline | Information has been added in relation to family group decision-making in Section 1, Introduction and Time Limits and Section 5, Pre-Proceedings, and a link has been added to chapter Family Networks and Family Group Decision Making. |
| 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 has been 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 has been added. |
| Children and Young People Aged 0-25 with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities | This chapter has been amended 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. |
| Aftercare under Section 117 of the Mental Health Act 1983 | Section 2, Ordinary Residence has been updated in line with case law. |
| Families with No Recourse to Public Funds | Section 5.2.5, Providing Support has been updated to reflect the Home Office increase in financial support to individuals waiting to find out if they will be given asylum in the UK. |
| Family and Friends Care Policy | This chapter has been updated to reflect 'Championship Kinship Care: The National Kinship Care strategy'. |
| Young Carers | This chapter has been refreshed. |
| Placements in Residential Care | This chapter has been 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 and President of the Family Division Practice Guidance: Placements in Unregistered Children's Homes in England or Unregistered Care Home Services in Wales. |
| Placements in Secure Accommodation on Welfare Grounds | Section 10, Use of Inherent Jurisdiction to Authorise a Placement Involving a Deprivation of Liberty has been 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. And to include information from Guidance - Placing Children: Deprivation of Liberty Orders (Ofsted) - guidance for providers, social workers and placement commissioners on placing children, subject to a deprivation of liberty order (DoL), in unregistered settings. |
| Health and Safety | Additional information has been added about online safety. |
| Notifications of Significant Events | This chapter has been 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. |
| Supporting the Education and Promoting the Achievement of Children with a Social Worker, Looked After and Previously Looked After Children | This chapter has been 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. |
| Staying Put | This chapter has been updated, 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 Death or Serious Injury to a Child (Looked After, Child in Need or Care Leaver Up to and Including the Age of 24) Procedure. |
| Applications for Special Guardianship Orders | This chapter has been updated. Information has been 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. |
| New Chapters and Features | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Information Sharing (DfE) | This chapter has been added to the manual. |
| Next Update: November 2024 |
November 2023
| Updated Chapters | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Capacity and Consent | Amendments have been made to reflect case-law in relation to assessing legal capacity. |
| Care and Supervision Proceedings and the Public Law Outline | Information has been added into Section 4, Care Orders and Supervisions Orders on a Care Plan of the Child Remaining at Home 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. |
| Access to Records / Subject Access Requests | The Relevant Guidance section has been updated. |
| Children and Young People Aged 0-25 with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities | This chapter has been updated. Information has been added into Section 15, Resolving Disagreements in relation to legal aid for foster carers and prospective adoptive parents in First Tier Tribunal appeals. |
| Placing and Visiting Children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities or Health Conditions in Long-Term Residential Settings | This chapter has been updated to include information from the UK Social Work Practice in Safeguarding Disabled Children and Young People report. |
| Unaccompanied Migrant Children and Child Victims of Trafficking and Modern Slavery | This chapter has been updated. Information has been added in to Section 4, Assessment in relation to the National Age Assessment Board. |
| Decision to Look After | Section 3, Section 20 Accommodation has been updated in line with case-law. |
| Placements in Other Arrangements | This chapter has been refreshed throughout and replaces the previous version. |
| Health and Safety | Information has been added into Section 6, Diet, Nutrition and Allergies, in relation to allergies. |
| Supporting the Education and Promoting the Achievement of Children with a Social Worker, Looked After and Previously Looked After Children | This chapter has been refreshed throughout and replaces the previous version. |
| Health Care Assessments and Plans | Information has been added into Section 4, Health Plans in relation to allergies. |
| Leaving Care and Transition | This chapter has been amended to note that with effect from 1 April 2023, the leaving care allowance increased from £2,000 to £3,000. |
| Early Permanence: Fostering for Adoption, Concurrent Planning and Temporary Approval as Foster Carers of Approved Prospective Adopters | This chapter has been refreshed and a link added to National Early Permanence Practice Standards (Coram Centre for Early Permanence). |
| Applications for Special Guardianship Orders | This chapter has been updated. Information has been added into Section 6.2, Special Guardianship Applications in Care Proceedings in relation to timing of assessments. |
| List of Agency Decision Makers, Designated Managers and Nominated Officers | This information has been updated. |
| New Chapters and Features | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Ofsted Inspection Framework | This new chapter which links to the Ofsted Inspection Frameworks for the various social care services, has been added to the Contents List in Section 6, Contact, List of Agency Decision Makers and Appendices and can be offered at updates. |
May 2023
| Updated Chapters | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Care and Supervision Proceedings and the Public Law Outline | Section 8, Court Hearings has been updated in line with A View From the President's Chambers: Relaunching the PLO (November 2022), and that section should be re-read. In Relevant Guidance, a link has been added to Pre-proceedings and Family Justice Hub (Research in Practice). |
| Case Records and Retention | This chapter has been updated in relation to the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse. |
| Children and Young People Aged 0-25 with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities | This chapter has been updated to include information from Guidance: Area SEND Inspections Framework and Handbook (November 2022). |
| Providing Personalised Care | A link has been added into Related Guidance to Culturally Appropriate Care (Skills for Care). |
| Placements in Secure Accommodation on Welfare Grounds | A link has been added into Relevant Guidance, to the resource Healthcare Standards for Children and Young People in Secure Settings (RCPCH). |
| Positive Relationships and Behaviour Management | This chapter has been amended to incorporate Ofsted feedback. Additional information has been added into Section 2, Positive Behaviour Support and Section 5.4, Recording of Sanctions. |
| Marriage/Civil Partnership of a Looked After Child | This chapter has been amended to reflect that the Marriage and Civil Partnership (Minimum Age) Act 2022 raised the age of marriage and civil partnership to 18 in England and Wales, with effect from 26 February 2023. |
| Leaving Care and Transition | This chapter has been revised to include information from the revised Ofsted inspection framework. |
| Allegations Against Foster Carers | This chapter has been amended in line with revised Keeping Children Safe in Education. A new Section 2, The Difference Between an Allegation of Harm and a Concern has been added. |
| Allegations Against Prospective Adopters and in Relation to Children Placed for Adoption or Already Adopted | This chapter has been amended in line with revised Keeping Children Safe in Education. A new Section 2, The Difference Between an Allegation of Harm and a Concern has been added. |
| Applications for Special Guardianship Orders | This chapter has been updated to reflect the updated Public Law Working Group Best Practice Guidance. This includes the new interim guidance, issued by the President of the Family Division, that addresses the lawful extension of care proceedings beyond 26 weeks. Section 6.3, Placement before a Special Guardianship Order (SGO) is Granted has been added in line with guidance that states where there is no pre-existing relationship between the child and special guardians the child should be placed on an interim basis before the special guardianship order is made. |
| List of Agency Decision Makers, Designated Managers and Nominated Officers | This information has been updated. |
| New Chapters and Features | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Children Involved in the Youth Justice System: Additional National Guidance | This chapter has been added. |
November 2022
| Updated Chapters | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Care and Supervision Proceedings and the Public Law Outline | This chapter has been amended throughout in line with Management Guidance in Public Law Children Cases: March 2022. |
| Children and Young People Aged 0-25 with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities | Section 15, Resolving Disagreements has been updated in line with the First Tier Tribunal's extended powers to hear appeals and make non-binding recommendations about health and social care aspects of Education, Health and Care (EHC) plans, provided those appeals also include education elements. |
| Aftercare under Section 117 of the Mental Health Act 1983 | This chapter has been amended to refer to Guidance issued by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman and the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman. |
| Unaccompanied Migrant Children and Child Victims of Trafficking and Modern Slavery | This chapter has been refreshed and updated to note that in February 2022 the Home Office announced that participation in the National Transfer Scheme is to become mandatory for all councils with responsibility for Children's Services. |
| Decision to Look After | This chapter has been refreshed and should be re-read. |
| Care Planning | This chapter has been refreshed and should be re-read. |
| Ceasing to Look After a Child | This chapter has been updated to add a note regarding transferring a child's belongings in appropriate luggage and includes a link to a link to NYAS, My Things Matter Report (see Section 5, Administration / Process Issues). |
| Placements in Foster Care | This chapter has been amended to add a link to the NYAS 'My Things Matter' Report – support and respect care-experienced children and their belongings when they move (see Section 4, Placement Planning). |
| Placements in Residential Care | This chapter has been amended to add a link to the NYAS 'My Things Matter' Report – support and respect care-experienced children and their belongings when they move (see Section 2.3, Placement Planning). |
| Placements in Secure Accommodation on Welfare Grounds | Section 10, Use of Inherent Jurisdiction to Authorise a Placement Involving a Deprivation of Liberty has been updated in line with case-law. |
| Out of Area Placements | Section 3, Placements in Scotland, Northern Ireland, Isle of Man and Guernsey has been updated in line with the Cross-border Placements (Effect of Deprivation of Liberty Orders) (Scotland) Regulations 2022 and Cross-Border Placements (Effect of Deprivation of Liberty Orders) (Scotland) Regulations 2022: Practice Guidance, Notice and Undertaking Template. |
| Remands to Local Authority Accommodation or to Youth Detention Accommodation | This chapter has been amended in line with the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022. |
| Contact with Parents/Adults and Siblings | Section 3, Supervised Contact has been updated to reflect a finding by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman that the supervisor's observations of the contact must be clearly recorded in the child's record and shared with the parents within 3 months of the visit. |
| Positive Relationships and Behaviour Management | This chapter has been refreshed and should be re-read. |
| Restrictive Physical Intervention and Restraint | This chapter has been refreshed. |
| Leaving Care and Transition | This chapter has been amended to add a link to the NYAS 'My Things Matter' Report – support and respect care-experienced children and their belongings when they move (see Scope of This Chapter). |
| Looked After Children and Young People in Contact with Youth Justice Services | Section 2, Looked After Children who are Arrested has been updated in relation to appropriate adults. |
| Fostering Panel | This chapter has been refreshed and should be re-read. |
| Assessment and Approvals of Foster Carers | This chapter has been refreshed and should be re-read. |
| Allegations Against Foster Carers | This chapter has been refreshed. |
| Recruitment, Assessment and Approval of Prospective Adopters | This chapter has been refreshed. |
| Adoption Panel | This chapter has been refreshed. |
| Placement for Adoption | This chapter has been refreshed. |
| Adoption Support | This chapter has been refreshed. |
| Disruption of Adoptive Placements | This chapter has been refreshed. |
| New Chapters and Features | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Equality and Diversity | This chapter has been added. |
| Risk Assessment and Planning | This chapter has been added. |
| Providing Personalise Care | This chapter has been added. |
| Health and Safety | This chapter has been added. |
| Leisure Activities | This chapter has been added. |
| Training and Development of Foster Carers | This chapter has been added. |
May 2022
| Updated Chapters | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Capacity and Consent | Section 4.3, Consent to the Use of Medication to Suppress Puberty has been updated in line with case-law. |
| Care and Supervision Proceedings and the Public Law Outline | This chapter has been amended throughout and should be re-read. |
| Legal Gateway/Planning Meetings | This chapter has been amended throughout and should be re-read. |
| Electronic Recording of Meetings and Conversations | Part 1 of this chapter has been updated in line with case-law. |
| Use of Social Media Sites by Social Care and Safeguarding Staff | This chapter has been given a general refresh. |
| Unaccompanied Migrant Children and Child Victims of Trafficking and Modern Slavery | A note has been added in relation to The National Transfer Scheme which is to become temporarily mandatory for all councils. Note that GOV.UK has not yet been updated, but the Home Office has been writing direct to all local authorities. |
| Decision to Look After and Care Planning | Section 1.3, Section 20 Accommodation has been revised in line with the Public Law Working Group (PLWG) Recommendations to Achieve Best Practice in the Child Protection and Family Justice Systems. |
| Placements with Parents | A note has been added in relation to the Public Law Working Group Best Practice Guidance: the Application and Case Management. |
| Education of Looked After and Previously Looked After Children | This chapter has been significantly amended to reflect changes from the revised Working Together to Safeguard Children, the 'Review of Sexual Abuse in Schools and Colleges (Ofsted)'; updated 'Keeping Children Safe in Education' (see Scope of This Chapter) and Sexual Harassment in Education – Briefing (House of Parliament Library) (see Section 8.2, Protecting looked after children from sexual harassment and peer on peer abuse). The chapter has also been amended to reflect Promoting the Education of Children with a Social Worker: Virtual School Head Role Extension. |
| Restrictive Physical Intervention | A link has been added to Guidance: Positive Environments Where Children Can Flourish (Ofsted). See Further Information. |
November 2021
| Updated Chapters | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Capacity and Consent | Section 4.3, Consent to the Use of Medication to Suppress Puberty has been updated and a new Section 5.4, Consent to Life-ending Withdrawal of Medical Support has been added to reflect High Court judgments. Section 2.1, Consent to Information Sharing has been updated to reflect revisions contained in the statutory guidance Working Together to Safeguard Children. |
| Contacts and Referrals | Guidance contained in this chapter has been reviewed and updated as required to reflect guidance from the refreshed Working Together to Safeguard Children. |
| Assessments | This chapter has been amended to add a new Section 15, 16 and 17 year olds who may be Homeless and/or require Accommodation and reflects the issue of Homelessness and the vulnerability of young people identified in Working Together to Safeguard Children. |
| Care and Supervision Proceedings and the Public Law Outline | This chapter has been updated. The link has been updated to the SWET (updated April 2021). Section 2, Pre-Proceedings has been updated to include information in relation to pre-birth assessments and planning where the mother has learning disabilities. It has also been updated to reflect Practice Guidance on Special Guardianship (Family Justice Council). See Section 9, Expectations of the Local Authority by the Court in particular. |
| Complaints and Representations | This chapter has been amended to reflect the Children's Statutory Complaint Process: Guide for Practitioners (Local Government & Social Care Ombudsman) (see Relevant Guidance). |
| Cross Border Child Protection Cases | This chapter has been updated to take account of the UK's exit from the EEA. |
| Electronic Recording of Meetings and Conversations | Information has been added on recording by employees in a professional capacity, and links added to relevant guidance. |
| Children and Young People Aged 0-25 with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities | This chapter has been refreshed and updated and includes links to related reports from the House of Commons Library (see Section 16, Further Information and Statutory Guidance). |
| Short Breaks | Information has been added into Section 7, Short Break Settings, in relation to the prohibition on looked after children under the age of 16 being placed in 'other arrangements' placements for the purposes of a short break. |
| Unaccompanied Migrant Children and Child Victims of Trafficking and Modern Slavery | A link has been added to the Independent Child Trafficking Guardians Referral Form. In areas where the ICTG service has been implemented, if the social worker considers a child to be a potential victim of modern slavery, they should refer them to the ICTG service by completing the online referral form. Section 6.1, Placement Options has been updated in relation to placements in 'other arrangements'. Section 4, Assessment has been updated in relation to Age Assessments. Minor amendments have also been made to this chapter in line with the UK's exit from the EEA. |
| Families with No Recourse to Public Funds | This chapter has been revised throughout and updated to note that the High Court in ST (a child, by his Litigation Friend VW) & VW v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2021] EWHC 1085 (Admin) held that immigration caseworkers, when deciding whether to accept that the applicant is 'destitute or at risk of imminent destitution' are required to 'have regard to the need to safeguard and promote the welfare' of any children involved in the application, in accordance with section 55 Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Act 2009. |
| Family and Friends Care Policy | This chapter has been revised. A new Section 7, Education has been added and information added on the School Admission Code. |
| Relinquished Children | This chapter has been updated to reflect case-law setting out lessons for the future in non-notification cases. |
| Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority Claims for Looked After Children | This chapter has been refreshed and a link added to House of Commons Library Briefing Paper: Criminal Injuries Compensation for Victims of Child Abuse. |
| Placements with Parents | Section 1, Planned Placements has been updated to add information on placements in 'other arrangements'. |
| Placements in Residential Care | This chapter has been updated to note that, from September 2021, looked after children under 16 years of age cannot be accommodated in unregulated independent or semi-independent placements. |
| Out of Area Placements | Section 6, Placements in Wales has been updated in line with updated Children Act 1989 Guidance and Regulations - Volume 2: Care Planning, Placement and Case Review. |
| Placements Outside England and Wales | Section 3, Placements in Scotland, Northern Ireland, Isle of Man and Guernsey has been updated in line with updated Children Act 1989 Guidance and Regulations - Volume 2: Care Planning, Placement and Case Review. Additional information has also been added in relation to placements in Scotland, in line with a High Court case. |
| Remands to Local Authority Accommodation or to Youth Detention Accommodation | Information in relation to children under the age of 16 being placed in 'other arrangements' placements has been added in to Section 3, Local Authority Accommodation. |
| Delegation of Authority to Foster Carers and Residential Workers | A new Section 7.4, Consent to Life-ending Withdrawal of Medical Support has been added, to reflect a High Court judgment. |
| Advocacy and Independent Visitors | This chapter has been revised throughout. |
| Education of Looked After and Previously Looked After Children | This chapter has been revised. Information has been added on the School Admission Code in Section 6, When a Child Needs or Joins a New School. It has also been updated to reflect changes from the revised Working Together to Safeguard Children. |
| Holidays and School Trips In and Outside the UK | This guidance has been reviewed and updated throughout. Section 2.3, Insurance Cover has been updated to include details of how to apply for a Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) which provides access to reduced cost or free medical insurance in the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland. Section 2.4, Obtaining a Passport has also been updated to link to reissued Home Office guidance for Local Authorities Children's Services Departments when Applying for Passports on Behalf of Children. |
| Leaving Care and Transition | Section 6, Pathway Planning has been updated to note that, in relevant cases, immigration status should be included as a separate section on the Pathway Plan. This will help to ensure that young people who have been granted Pre-Settled Status under the EU Settlement Scheme apply to convert this to Settled Status at the appropriate. Pathway Plans should contain clear information about what action needs to be taken by whom and when to ensure that the young person's right to remain legally in the UK is not jeopardised. |
| Applications for Special Guardianship Orders | This chapter has been revised. Information has been added on the School Admission Code in Section 12, The Special Guardianship Support Plan. It has also been updated to reflect Practice Guidance on Special Guardianship published by the Family Justice Council. See Section 6.2, Special Guardianship Applications in Care Proceedings and new Section 16, Special Guardianship Orders in International Cases. |
| List of Agency Decision Makers, Designated Managers and Nominated Officers | This information has been updated. |
| New Chapters and Features | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Aftercare under Section 117 of the Mental Health Act 1983 | This chapter has been added to the manual. |
| Placements in Other Arrangements | This chapter has been added to the manual. |
May 2021
| Updated Chapters | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Capacity and Consent | This chapter has been updated to add information on a High Court case in relation to consent in the context of the use of medication to suppress puberty. Information has also been added in relation to NICE Quality Standard: Decision-Making and Mental Capacity. |
| Children and Young People Aged 0-25 with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities | Section 15, Resolving Disagreements has been updated to reference recent case-law holding that, as part of the mediation process, a parent/child/young person is entitled to bring along any supporter they wish, including a lawyer. |
| Prevention of Homelessness and Provision of Accommodation for 16 and 17 Year Olds who may be Homeless and/or Require Accommodation; and Duty to Refer | This chapter has been updated to add a link to Joint Housing Protocols for Care Leavers: good practice advice (DfE and MHCLG) to support the development of joint protocols that can help local authorities to meet the accommodation needs of care leavers. (See Section 4, Housing Protocols for Care Leavers). |
| Placements in Secure Accommodation on Welfare Grounds | A new Section 10, Use of Inherent Jurisdiction to Authorise a Placement Involving a Deprivation of Liberty When One or More of the Relevant Criteria Under Section 25 Children Act 1989 are Not Satisfied has been added. |
| Leaving Care and Transition | This chapter has been updated with a link to Joint Housing Protocols for Care Leavers: good practice advice (DfE and MHCLG) to support the development of joint protocols that can help local authorities to meet the accommodation needs of care leavers. Additional content has therefore been added in a new Section 8, Joint Housing Protocols for Care Leaver as well as Section 7, Reviews of Pathway Plans and Section 13, Where Care Leavers Live or Move to a Different Local Authority Area. |
| Responsibilities of the Local Authority to Former Looked After Children and Young People in Custody | This chapter has been updated to reflect the Section 2.6, Care leavers leaving custody in Joint Housing Protocols for Care Leavers: good practice advice (DfE and MHCLG) 2020. (See Section 3.9, Planning for Release). |
| Assessment and Approvals of Foster Carers | A revised link has been added to Prepare for a review panel: adopters and foster carers. |
| Review and Termination of Approval of Foster Carers | A revised link has been added to Prepare for a review panel: adopters and foster carers. |
| Assessment and Approvals of Prospective Adopters | A revised link has been added to Prepare for a review panel: adopters and foster carers. |
| Access to Birth Records and Adoption Case Records | This chapter has been given a general refresh throughout and information added on applying for a copy of a birth certificate online. |
| New Chapters and Features | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Family Information Services Directory - Havering Directory | A link to these local contacts has been added to the manual. |
November 2020
| Updated Chapters | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Complaints and Representations | Information contained in this procedure has been reviewed and refreshed as required. |
| Unaccompanied Migrant Children and Child Victims of Trafficking and Modern Slavery | Section 11, Further Information has been updated to include a link to Statutory Guidance Modern Slavery: How to Identify and Support Victims. |
| Families with No Recourse to Public Funds | This chapter has been significantly updated and should be re-read. |
| Placements in Secure Accommodation on Welfare Grounds | Section 6, Placements of Children under the age of 13 years has been updated following publication of revised DfE guidance. |
| Notifications of Significant Events | This procedure has been updated to reflect the latest Ofsted guidance for social care providers on the types of incident which they consider to be serious and which will therefore require notification to the regulatory authority. |
| New Chapters and Features | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Havering Safeguarding Children's Escalation Policy | This link has been added to the manual. |
| Early Help Services Vision 2019-2021 | This document has been added to the manual. |
| Capacity and Consent | This chapter has been added to the manual. |
| Use of Social Media Sites by Social Care and Safeguarding Staff | This chapter has been added to the manual. |
| Storage of Data on Mobile Devices | This chapter has been added to the manual. |
May 2020
| Updated Chapters | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Assessments | This chapter has been updated in line with the new digital referral system for reporting potential victims of Modern Slavery. |
| Care and Supervision Proceedings and the Public Law Outline | This chapter has been updated to reference and reflect the Family Justice Council: Interim Guidance on Special Guardianship, (Family Justice Council, May 2019). |
| Recording Policy and Guidelines | This chapter has been updated to reflect the twitter blog by Yvette Stanley, Ofsted's National Director for Social Care, which explores what a good recording should look like. |
| Children and Young People Aged 0-25 with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities | This chapter has been updated to draw attention to OFSTED's advice that LAs should exercise due diligence in ensuring schools for pupils with SEN are registered with the DfE. |
| Unaccompanied Migrant Children and Child Victims of Trafficking and Modern Slavery | This chapter has been updated to take account of the new NRM digital referral form to report Modern Slavery. |
| Secure Accommodation (Criteria) Reviews | This chapter has been updated to clarify the requirement for a clear separation of reviews. Clarifying whether the criteria for keeping a child in secure accommodation are met must come before a LAC review so the decision can inform the LAC review and must be chaired by different individuals. |
| Notifications of Significant Events | This procedure has been updated to reflect revised guidance issued by Ofsted to Children's Homes Providers in August 2019. The revised guidance sought to clarify what is meant by a 'serious event' in relation to a child living in a Children's Homes with the aim of reducing the overall number of notifications made to Ofsted, and in particular reducing the number of repeat notifications made as a result of submitting additional / updated information. |
| Education of Looked After and Previously Looked After Children | This chapter has been updated to reflect Keeping Children Safe in Education (2018). Section 8, Safeguarding the Looked After Child at School includes a reference to Upskirting (which is now a criminal offence) and a new Section 8.5, Serious Violence. Information has been added to reflect OFSTED's advice that LAs should exercise due diligence in ensuring schools for LAC pupils are registered with the DFE. |
| Leaving Care and Transition | A link to the Leaving Care Local Offer has been added |
| Assessment and Approvals of Foster Carers | A link has been added to Information about the Independent Review Mechanism (IRM). |
| Supervision and Support of Foster Carers | This chapter has been updated to add detail in relation to the foster carer's role and responsibilities with respect to the Fostering National Minimum Standards - Notification of Significant Events and relevant aspects of Schedule 6 The Fostering Services (England) Regulation 2011. |
| Review and Termination of Approval of Foster Carers | This chapter has been amended to reflect local guidance and a link has been added to Attending an IRM Panel: information sheets. |
| Allegations Against Foster Carers | This chapter has been reviewed and refreshed where required. |
| Assessment and Approvals of Prospective Adopters | A link has been added to Information about the Independent Review Mechanism (IRM). |
| Access to Birth Records and Adoption Case Records | A link has bee added to Information about the Independent Review Mechanism (IRM). |
| Applications for Special Guardianship Orders | This chapter has been updated to reference and reflect the Family Justice Council: Interim Guidance on Special Guardianship (Family Justice Council, May 2019). |
| Court Reports in Placement Order Applications and Adoption/Special Guardianship Guidance | This chapter has been updated to reference and reflect the Family Justice Council: Interim Guidance on Special Guardianship (Family Justice Council, May 2019). |
| List of Agency Decision Makers, Designated Managers and Nominated Officers | This chapter has been updated. |
| New Chapters and Features | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Contacts and Referrals | This chapter has been added to the manual. |
| Child in Need Plans and Reviews | This chapter has been added to the manual. |
| Direct Payments | This chapter has been added to the manual. |
| Deprivation of Liberty | This chapter has been added to the manual. |
| Mental Capacity | This chapter has been added to the manual. |
| Prevention of Homelessness and Provision of Accommodation for 16 and 17 Year Olds who may be Homeless and/or Require Accommodation; and Duty to Refer | This chapter has been added to the manual. |
| Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority Claims for Looked After Children | This chapter has been added to the manual. |
