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Amendments

2025

May 2025

Local Authority's Sufficiency Duty - Accommodation for Looked After Children

This chapter was revised in May 2025, in line with How Local Authorities and Children's Homes Can Achieve Stability and Permanence for Children with Complex Needs (Ofsted).

Children's Services Policies, Values and Principles

In May 2025, this chapter was revised in line with Working Together to Safeguard Children.

Aftercare under Section 117 of the Mental Health Act 1983

This chapter was revised in May 2025.

Family Networks and Family Group Decision Making

In May 2025, this chapter was added to the manual.

Care and Supervision Proceedings and the Public Law Outline

In May 2025, 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 chapter Family Networks and Family Group Decision Making.

Placements with Connected Persons

This chapter was revised in May 2025.

Placing and Visiting Children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities or Health Conditions in Long-Term Residential Settings

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

Personal Budgets and Direct Payments

This chapter was revised in May 2025, to include additional information on personal budgets.

Assessments

In May 2025, amendments were made in line with the revised working together to Safeguard children.

Children and Young People’s Continuing Care National Framework

This chapter was added to the manual in May 2025.

Death or Serious Injury to a Child (Looked After, Child in Need or Care Leaver Up to and Including the Age of 24)

In May 2025, 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. 

Children and Young People Aged 0-25 with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities

In May 2025, Section 15, Resolving Disagreements was updated to include information on Guidance: Carry Out an Order in Special Educational Needs Cases. Section 15.1, Registering an appeal with the First-tier Tribunal (Special Educational Needs (SEN) and Disability) was updated in line with case law.

Unaccompanied Migrant Children and Child Victims of Trafficking and Modern Slavery

In May 2025, a link was added in Section 4, Age Assessment to BASW Age Assessment Practice Guidance. In Further Information, links to sources of further information were updated.

Child Protection Enquiries (Section 47)

This chapter was revised in May 2025, in line with the revised working together to Safeguard children.

Kinship Care

This chapter was previously entitled family and friends care and was updated in May 2025 in the light of government guidance and Championing Kinship Care: The National Kinship Care strategy. 

Contacts and Referrals

This chapter was revised in May 2025, in line with the revised working together to Safeguard children.

Allegations Against Foster Carers

This chapter was updated in May 2025, to include a link to the Disclosure and Barring Service Guidance Leaflets - GOV.UK. in Section 4.5, Concluding the Investigation. 

Supporting the Education and Promoting the Achievement of Children with a Social Worker, Looked After and Previously Looked After Children

In May 2025, 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.

Applications for Special Guardianship Orders

This chapter was updated in May 2025. 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.

Children Involved in the Youth Justice System: Additional National Guidance

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

Staying Put

This chapter was updated in May 2025, 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).

Placement for Adoption

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

Health and Safety

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

Recruitment, Assessment and Approval of Prospective Adopters

In May 2025, information was added to Section 4, 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 added in the Related Guidance Section.

Ofsted Inspection Framework

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

Leaving Care and Transition

In May 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.

Allegations Against Prospective Adopters and in Relation to Children Placed for Adoption or Already Adopted and in Receipt of Adoption Support Services from City of York

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

Notifications of Significant Events

In May 2025, 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.  

January 2025

Child Protection – Transfer in Conference

This document was added to the manual in January 2025.