Amendments

This chapter was refreshed in January 2026. The Government guidance, Report the death or serious harm of a child or care leaver was updated to provide what information is needed when reporting incidents involving children who have died or been seriously harmed and abuse or neglect is known or suspected, looked after children and care leavers. The Serious Incident Notification Guide for local authorities was added to this chapter.

This chapter was revised in January 2026.

In January 2026, information was added to Section 1, Prevention of Homelessness and Provision of Accommodation for 16 and 17 Year Old Young People who may be Homeless and/or Require Accommodation from Good decisions: supporting children aged 16 and 17 who need help when they are homeless - GOV.UK and Section 3.1, Domestic Abuse and Homelessness was added.

This chapter was refreshed in January 2026, to include information from the Criminal Injuries Compensation: A Guide.

This chapter was updated in January 2026, to include information for the Restraint and restrictive practices: positive environments for children - Ofsted: social care.

In January 2026, 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.

This chapter was updated in January 2026, to include information from the Ministry of Justice Youth Remand Concordat. In January 2026, this chapter was updated with information from 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.

This chapter was refreshed in January 2026.

In January 2026, links were 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.

In January 2026, 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. The chapter was also updated with information from 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 January 2026, information was added from How Local Authorities Can Help Young Carers (Ofsted Blog) and additional resources were added to Further Information.

In January 2026, information was added in Section 6.3, 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 July 2025 information was added into Section 9, Accommodation, Bedroom Space and Sharing in relation to bunk beds.

This chapter was refreshed in July 2025 in line with How Local Authorities and Children’s Homes Can Achieve Stability and Permanence for Children with Complex Needs (Ofsted).

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

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

In July 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 July 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.

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

This chapter was updated in July 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 July 2025 with a link to DBS guidance leaflets - GOV.UK in Section 4.4, Concluding the Investigation.

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

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

In January 2025, this chapter was refreshed.

In January 2025, information on Ofsted checks was added into Section 5.1, Checks.

In January 2025, this chapter was refreshed.

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

Section 4.2, Procedural Fairness was updated in January 2025 in line with case-law.

In January 2025, information was added to Section 3, Stage One-The Pre-Assessment Process with details on how to request information about an applicant from Ofsted.

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

In January 2025, a link to Financial support for care leavers - City of London Family Information Service was added.

Section 15, Resolving Disagreements was updated in July 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 in July 2024 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.

This chapter was updated in July 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.

In July 2024, this chapter was amended in line with the revised Working Together to Safeguard Children (2023).

This chapter was added to the manual in July 2024.

In July 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 July 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.

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

This chapter was updated in July 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 July 2024, this chapter was amended in line with the revised Working Together to Safeguard Children (2023).

In July 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.

In July 2024, this chapter was amended in line with the revised Working Together to Safeguard Children (2023).

In July 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 was added to the chapter Family Networks and Family Group Decision Making.

This chapter was added to the manual in July 2024.

In July 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 refreshed in July 2024.

This chapter was refreshed in July 2024.

This chapter was updated in July 2024, to reflect Championing Kinship Care: The National Kinship Care strategy. 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 January 2024, this chapter was refreshed and a link added to National Early Permanence Practice Standards (Coram Centre for Early Permanence). 

This chapter was updated in January 2024. Information in relation to timing of assessments was added into Section 6.2, Special Guardianship Applications in Care Proceedings.

In January 2024, amendments were made to reflect case-law in relation to assessing legal capacity.

This chapter was updated in January 2024. Information in relation to the National Age Assessment Board was added into Section 4, Assessment.

In January 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.

This chapter was amended in January 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. Information in relation to legal aid for foster carers and prospective adoptive parents in First Tier Tribunal appeals was also added into Section 15, Resolving Disagreements.

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

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

Section 10, Use of Inherent Jurisdiction to Authorise a Placement Involving a Deprivation of Liberty was updated in January 2024 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 January 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 January 2024, this chapter was updated throughout to reflect supported accommodation for 16-17 year olds becoming regulated by Ofsted.

This chapter was revised throughout in January 2024 and replaces the previous version.

This chapter was amended in January 2024 to note that with effect from 1 April 2023, the leaving care allowance increased from £2,000 to £3,000.

Section 5.2.5, Providing Support was updated in January 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.