Amendments

This chapter was updated in November 2025.

In October 2025, this chapter was updated.

This chapter was updated in October 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 refreshed in October 2025 to include information from the Criminal Injuries Compensation: A Guide.

In October 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 October 2025 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.

This chapter was updated in October 2025 to include information from the Ministry of Justice Youth Remand Concordat.

In October 2025 this chapter was updated. 

This chapter was refreshed in October 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.

This chapter was updated in October 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 October 2025 information was added from How Local Authorities Can Help Young Carers (Ofsted Blog) and additional resources were added to Further Information.

In October 2025, this chapter was updated.

In October 2025 links have been 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.

This chapter was refreshed in October 2025.

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, and a link added to Disclosure and Barring Service Guidance Leaflets.

This chapter was updated in October 2025.

In October 2025, this chapter was updated. 

This chapter was updated in October 2025.

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.

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 on Ofsted checks was added in to Section 4.1, Checks, and a link added to Disclosure and Barring Service Guidance Leaflets.

In March 2025, the link in this chapter was updated.

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

In March 2025, this chapter was updated and new links added.

This chapter was refreshed throughout in March 2025.

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

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

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

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

This chapter was refreshed throughout in March 2025.

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, and a link added to Disclosure and Barring Service Guidance Leaflets.

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

In October 2024, references to ‘twitter’ were updated to ‘x’.

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

In October 2024, the reference to Working Together flowchart was updated.

In October 2024, information was added in relation to family group decision-making in Section 1, Introduction and Time Limits, and Section 5, Pre-Proceedings.

In October 2024, a link was added to information on Supported Accommodation.

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

In October 2024, a link was added to local information Referral Protocol for North Yorkshire Healthy Child Service and Children & Families Services to NHS England Flexible Commissioning Dental Practices.

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

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

In October 2024, this chapter was updated and new links added.

This chapter was updated in October 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 October 2024, this chapter was updated throughout in line with revised Working Together to Safeguard Children

In October 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 added to the procedures manual in October 2024.

In March 2024, this chapter was refreshed throughout.

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

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 May 2024, Section 5.2.5, Providing Support was 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.

This chapter was refreshed in March 2024.

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

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

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.

In March 2024, links were added in the Relevant Guidance section.

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. 

In March 2024, links were added in the Relevant Guidance section.

In May 2024, Section 10, Use of Inherent Jurisdiction to Authorise a Placement Involving a Deprivation of Liberty was 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.

In March 2024, minor amendments were made throughout in line with local practice.

In March 2024, this chapter was updated throughout in line with local practice.

In March 2024, minor amendments were made in line with local practice.

In March 2024, Section 2, Placement Order Applications was updated in line with local practice.

In March 2024, this chapter was updated throughout in line with local practice.

In March 2024, this chapter was updated throughout in line with local practice.

In March 2024, minor amendments were made in line with local practice.