Amendments

In March 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.
Tthis 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.

This chapter was refreshed in March 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 refreshed in March 2026.

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

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

In March 2026, this chapter was refreshed.

In March 2026, a new Section 8.6, Where the Advice from the Guardian and the Local Authority assessment are fundamentally different in relation to the safety and best interests of a child was added to the chapter in line with practice guidance issued jointly by Cafcass and the ADCS.

This chapter was updated in March 2026 to include information from the Ministry of Justice Youth Remand Concordat. It 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 March 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.

Section 3, Security, Retention and Sharing of Records was updated in March 2026 in the light of the Records of Adopted and Care-experienced People - Good Practice Guidance for Record-keepers and Care Professionals (England and Wales) Guidance - published February 2024 which recommends that Adoption records where an Adoption Order is made should now have for "good practice" minimum retention of 125 years (date of birth + 125 years this was previously 100 years) or for "exemplary practice" for 150 years, or best practice would be permanent preservation/retention.

In March 2026, information was added from How Local Authorities Can Help Young Carers (Ofsted Blog), and additional resources were added to Further Information.

In March 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.

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

This chapter was updated in March 2025 with a link to DBS guidance leaflets (GOV.UK) in Related Guidance.

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

This chapter was updated in March 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 March 2025 to include a link to the Disclosure and Barring Service Guidance Leaflets (GOV.UK) in Related Guidance.

In March 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.

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

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

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

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

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

This chapter was updated in March 2025

This chapter was updated in March 2025.

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

This chapter was updated in September 2024.

In September 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 refreshed in September 2024.

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

In September 2024, a link was added in Section 4.1, Age Assessment to BASW Age Assessment Practice Guidance. In Further Information, a link was added to Operation Innerste Process: Caseworker Guidance.

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

In September 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 Family Networks and Family Group Decision Making Procedure.

This chapter was refreshed in September 2024.

This chapter was refreshed in September 2024.

In September 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 September 2024, information was added to Section 3, Stage One-The Pre-Assessment Process, with details on how to request information about an applicant from Ofsted. 

This chapter was refreshed in September 2024.

In September 2024, information on Ofsted checks was added to Section 4.1, Checks.

This chapter was updated in September 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 in September 2024.

In September 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.

This chapter was refreshed in September 2024.

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

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

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

In March 2024, this chapter was refreshed and a link was added to the National Early Permanence Practice Standards (Coram Centre for Early Permanence). 

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

This chapter was refreshed in March 2024.

This chapter was updated in March 2024.

This chapter was amended in March 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.