Amendments

This chapter was refreshed in September 2025.
The Government guidance ‘Report the death or serious harm of a child or care leaver’ has been 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 has been added to this chapter.

In September 2025, information from Good decisions: supporting children aged 16 and 17 who need help when they are homeless (GOV.UK) 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. A new Section 3.1, Domestic Abuse and Homelessness was also 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, information about how to access pre-application advice on caring for children with complex needs (Ofsted) was added in Section 2.1, Additional Considerations Where a Child Has Multiple Needs. If you are thinking about opening a children’s social care service for children with complex needs.

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 refreshed in March 2025 in line with How Local Authorities and Children's Homes Can Achieve Stability and Permanence for Children with Complex Needs (Ofsted).

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

In March 2025, information on Ofsted checks was added in to Section 5.1, Checks. A link to the Disclosure and Barring Service Guidance Leaflets (GOV.UK) was also added into Related Guidance.

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

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

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.

In March 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. A link to DBS guidance leaflets (GOV.UK) was also added into Related Guidance.

In March 2025, this chapter was revised in line with updated government 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, this chapter was refreshed.

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

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

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

In March 2025, this chapter was refreshed.

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

In September 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 September 2024, amendments were made line with the revised Working Together to Safeguard Children.

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

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

In September 2024, amendments were made line with the revised Working Together to Safeguard Children.

In September 2024, amendments were made line with the revised Working Together to Safeguard Children.

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.

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

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. 

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

This chapter was refreshed in September 2024.

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.

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.

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.

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 updated in March 2024.

This chapter was refreshed in March 2024.

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

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.