Amendments

This chapter was revised in November 2024.

This chapter was updated in November 2024.

This chapter was refreshed in November 2024.

This chapter was updated in November 2024.

This chapter was revised in November 2024.

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

This chapter was refreshed in November 2024.

This chapter was added to the procedures manual in November 2024.

This chapter was updated in November 2024.

This chapter was updated in November 2024.

In November 2024, links to sources of further information were updated.

This chapter was refreshed in November 2024.

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

In June 2024, the email address for the Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub was updated.

Amended in June 2024: Designated Manager (Decision to Care For); Designated Manager (Emergency Protection Orders).

Section 5.2, Assessing Need under Section 17 Children Act 1989 was updated in May 2024 to reflect the Home Office increase in financial support to individuals waiting to find out if they will be given asylum in the UK.

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

In May 2024, this chapter 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 and President of the Family Division Practice Guidance: Placements in Unregistered Children’s Homes in England or Unregistered Care Home Services in Wales.

In May 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 May 2024, this chapter 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 and President of the Family Division Practice Guidance: Placements in Unregistered Children’s Homes in England or Unregistered Care Home Services in Wales.

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. 

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

In May 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.

Section 10, Use of Inherent Jurisdiction to Authorise a Placement Involving a Deprivation of Liberty was updated throughout in May 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 May 2024, links were added to Related Guidance

In May 2024, information was 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. Information was added in relation to family group decision-making in Sections 1, Introduction and Time Limits and Section 5, Pre-Proceedings, and a link was added to the Family Networks and Family Group Decision Making Procedure.

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

This chapter was added to the procedures manual in May 2024.

This chapter was updated in May 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 refreshed throughout in May 2024.

This chapter was refreshed 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 15, Resolving Disagreements (trix please link) was updated to include information on Guidance:  Carry Out an Order in Special Educational Needs Cases.

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).

This chapter was refreshed throughout in May 2024.