Amendments
February 2024
| Updated Chapters | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Children's & Young Peoples Consultation and Participation | This chapter has been reviewed and refreshed in line with local procedure. |
| Capacity and Consent | Amendments have been made to reflect case-law in relation to assessing legal capacity. |
| Child and Family Assessment/CAF | This chapter has been reviewed and updated in line with local procedure. |
| Step Up and Step Down Process | The documents in this chapter have been reviewed and updated. |
| Co-Working Protocol for Cases where there are Concerns Regarding Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) or Child Criminal Exploitation (CCE) | This chapter has been given a refresh in line with local guidance. |
| Case Transfer Policy | This PDF document has been updated |
| Care and Supervision Proceedings and the Public Law Outline | Information has been 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. |
| Children and Young People Aged 0-25 with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities | This chapter has been amended 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. |
| Unaccompanied Migrant Children and Child Victims of Trafficking and Modern Slavery | This chapter has been updated. Information in relation to the National Age Assessment Board has been added in to Section 4, Assessment. It has also been reviewed and refreshed in line with local procedure. |
| Kinship Care | The title of this chapter has been changed to Kinship Care and it has been refreshed in line with local guidance. |
| Private Fostering | This chapter has been reviewed and refreshed in line with local procedure. |
| Aftercare under Section 117 of the Mental Health Act 1983 | Section 2, Ordinary Residence has been updated in line with case law. In addition, a link to the Community Mental Health Framework for Adults and Older Adults documents have been added to Section 9, Further Information. |
| Placements in Residential Care | This chapter has been 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. |
| Placements in Secure Accommodation on Welfare Grounds | Section 10, Use of Inherent Jurisdiction to Authorise a Placement Involving a Deprivation of Liberty has been 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. |
| Placements in Other Arrangements | This chapter has been refreshed. |
| Supporting the Education and Promoting the Achievement of Children with a Social Worker, Looked After and Previously Looked After Children | This chapter has been refreshed. |
| Health and Safety | Additional information has been added about online safety. |
| Early Permanence: Fostering for Adoption, Concurrent Planning and Temporary Approval as Foster Carers of Approved Prospective Adopters | This chapter has been refreshed and a link has been added to National Early Permanence Practice Standards (Coram Centre for Early Permanence). |
| New Chapters and Features | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Scheme of Delegation | This document has been added to the manual. |
| Removed Chapters | |
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| Next Update: August 2024 |
August 2023
| Updated Chapters | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Children's & Young Peoples Consultation and Participation | The Children & Young Peoples Participation Strategy has been updated. |
| Step Up and Step Down Process | This chapter has been updated. |
| Co-Working Protocol for Cases where there are Concerns Regarding Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) or Child Criminal Exploitation (CCE) | This chapter has been given a refresh in line with local guidance. |
| Case Transfer Policy | This Policy has been added to the manual. |
| Care and Supervision Proceedings and the Public Law Outline | Section 8, Court Hearings has been updated in line with A View From the President’s Chambers: Relaunching the PLO (November 2022) and that section should be re-read. In Relevant Guidance, a link has been added to Pre-proceedings and Family Justice Hub (Research in Practice). |
| Case Records and Retention | This chapter has been updated in relation to the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse. |
| Children and Young People Aged 0-25 with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities | This chapter has been updated to include information from Guidance: Area SEND Inspections Framework and Handbook (November 2022). |
| Decision to Look After | Section 3, Section 20 Accommodation has been updated in line with case-law. |
| Remands to Local Authority Accommodation or to Youth Detention Accommodation | This chapter has been amended to include information from Annex to MOJ Circular 2022/03: Additional Information on Remand to Local Authority Accommodation (RLAA). It has also been refreshed in line with local procedure. |
| Placing and Visiting Children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities or Health Conditions in Long-Term Residential Settings | This chapter has been updated to include information from the UK Social Work Practice in Safeguarding Disabled Children and Young People report. |
| Health Care Assessments and Plans | Information in relation to allergies has been added into Section 4, Health Plans. |
| Positive Relationships and Behaviour Management | This chapter has been amended to incorporate Ofsted feedback. Additional information has been added into Section 2, Positive Behaviour Support and Section 5.4, Recording of Sanctions. |
| Health and Safety | Information in relation to allergies has been added into Section 6, Diet, Nutrition and Allergies. |
| Marriage/Civil Partnership of a Looked After Child | This chapter has been amended in August 2023, to reflect that the Marriage and Civil Partnership (Minimum Age) Act 2022 raised the age of marriage and civil partnership to 18 in England and Wales, with effect from 26 February 2023. |
| Leaving Care and Transition | This chapter has been amended to note that with effect from 1 April 2023, the leaving care allowance increased from £2,000 to £3,000. It has also been revised to include information from the revised Ofsted inspection framework. |
| Fostering Statement of Purpose (2023) | This document has been added to the manual. |
| Allegations Against Foster Carers | This chapter has been amended in line with revised Keeping Children Safe in Education. A new Section 2, The Difference Between an Allegation of Harm and a Concern has also been added. |
| Allegations Against Prospective Adopters and in Relation to Children Placed for Adoption or Already Adopted | This chapter has been amended in line with revised Keeping Children Safe in Education. A new Section 2, The Difference Between an Allegation of Harm and a Concern has also been added. |
| Blackburn with Darwen Special Guardianship Order Policy | This chapter has been updated to reflect the updated Public Law Working Group Best Practice Guidance. This includes the new interim guidance, issued by the President of the Family Division, that addresses the lawful extension of care proceedings beyond 26 weeks. Section 6.3, Placement before Special Guardianship Order (SGO) is Granted has been added in line with guidance that states where there is no pre-existing relationship between the child and special guardians the child should be placed on an interim basis before the special guardianship order is made. Section 17, Special Guardianship Orders in International Cases has also been added. |
| List of Agency Decision Makers, Designated Managers and Nominated Officers | This document has been updated. |
| New Chapters and Features | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Children Involved in the Youth Justice System: Additional National Guidance | This chapter has been added to the manual. |
| Ofsted Inspection Framework | This chapter has been added to the manual. |
| Removed Chapters | |
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February 2023
| Updated Chapters | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Children's & Young Peoples Consultation and Participation | This chapter has been reviewed in line with local procedures. |
| Blackburn with Darwen Children's Advice and Duty Service (CADS) Practice Guidance | This chapter has been updated throughout in line with local guidance. |
| Access to Records / Subject Access Requests | This chapter has been updated. |
| Aftercare under Section 117 of the Mental Health Act 1983 | This chapter has been amended to refer to Guidance issued by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman and the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman. |
| Placements Outside England and Wales | Section 3, Placements in Scotland, Northern Ireland, Isle of Man and Guernsey has been updated in line with the Cross-border Placements (Effect of Deprivation of Liberty Orders) (Scotland) Regulations 2022 and Cross-Border Placements (Effect of Deprivation of Liberty Orders) (Scotland) Regulations 2022: Practice Guidance, Notice and Undertaking Template. |
| Remands to Local Authority Accommodation or to Youth Detention Accommodation | This chapter has been amended in line with the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022. |
| Family Time with Parents/Adults and Siblings | This chapter has been updated. |
| Looked After Children and Young People in Contact with Youth Justice Services | Section 2, Looked After Children who are Arrested as been updated in relation to appropriate adults. |
| Recruitment, Assessment and Approvals of Prospective Adopters | This chapter has been refreshed. |
| Adoption Panel | This chapter has been refreshed. |
| Placement for Adoption | This chapter has been refreshed. |
| Adoption Support | This chapter has been refreshed. |
| Adoption Reviews | This chapter has been updated in line with local procedures. |
| Disruption of Adoptive Placements | This chapter has been refreshed. |
| Blackburn with Darwen Special Guardianship Order Policy | This chapter has been refreshed throughout in line with local procedure. |
| Contact Details for Safeguarding and Child Protection Concerns and Referrals | Details have been updated. |
| List of Agency Decision Makers, Designated Managers and Nominated Officers | This chapter has been refreshed. |
| New Chapters and Features | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Female Genital Mutilation | This chapter has been added. |
August 2022
| Updated Chapters | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Capacity and Consent | Section 4.3, Consent to the Use of Medication to Suppress Puberty has been updated in line with case-law. |
| Early Help and Support Supervision Guidance | This PDF has been updated. |
| Care and Supervision Proceedings and the Public Law Outline | This chapter has been given a general refresh. |
| Legal Gateway/Planning Meetings | This chapter has been updated. |
| Use of Social Media Sites by Social Care and Safeguarding Staff | This chapter has been given a general refresh. |
| Children and Young People Aged 0-25 with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities | Section 15, Resolving Disagreements has been updated in line with the First Tier Tribunal's extended powers to hear appeals and make non-binding recommendations about health and social care aspects of Education, Health and Care (EHC) plans, provided those appeals also include education elements. |
| Decision to Look After | This chapter has been updated. |
| Ceasing to Look After a Child | This chapter has been updated to add a note regarding transferring a child's belongings in appropriate luggage and includes a link to a link to NYAS, My Things Matter Report. (See Section 5, Administration / Process Issues). |
| Placements with Parents | A link to the Public Law Working Group Best Practice Guidance about the Application and Case Management has been added. |
| Placements in Foster Care | This chapter has been amended to add a link to the NYAS 'My Things Matter' Report – support and respect care-experienced children and their belongings when they move (see Section 4, Placement Planning). |
| Placements in Residential Care | This chapter has been amended to add a link to the NYAS 'My Things Matter' Report – support and respect care-experienced children and their belongings when they move (see Section 2.3, Placement Planning). |
| Placements in Secure Accommodation on Welfare Grounds | Section 10, Use of Inherent Jurisdiction to Authorise a Placement Involving a Deprivation of Liberty has been updated in line with case-law. |
| Appointment and Role of Independent Reviewing Officers | This chapter has been given a refresh in line with local guidance. |
| Family Time/Contact with Parents/Adults and Siblings | A link as been added to the Childnet Toolkit for Parents and Carers. |
| Education of Children with a Social Worker, Looked After and Previously Looked After Children | This chapter has been updated to reflect Keeping Children Safe in Education. Schools should have policies and processes in place to ensure all concerns about all adults working in or on behalf of the school or college (including supply teachers, volunteers and contractors) are dealt with promptly and appropriately. See Section 8.3, Protecting Children with a Social Worker, Looked After Children and Previously Looked After Children from Adults Who May Pose a Risk to Them and/or Other Children in the School. |
| Providing Personalised Care | This chapter has been updated. |
| Positive Relationships and Behaviour Management | This chapter has been updated. |
| Restrictive Physical Intervention | This chapter has been given a general refresh. |
| Leaving Care and Transition | This chapter has been amended to add a link to the NYAS 'My Things Matter' Report – support and respect care-experienced children and their belongings when they move (see Scope of This Chapter). |
| Fostering Panel | This chapter has been updated. |
| Assessment and Approvals of Foster Carers | This chapter has been given a general refresh. |
| Allegations Against Foster Carers | This chapter has been updated. |
| Adoption Now Statement of Purpose (2022) | This PDF has been updated. |
| Allegations Against Prospective Adopters and in Relation to Children Placed for Adoption or Already Adopted | This chapter has been updated. |
| Contact Details for Safeguarding and Child Protection Concerns and Referrals | Professional Abuse (management of allegations) details has been updated. |
| List of Agency Decision Makers, Designated Managers and Nominated Officers | These details have been updated. |
| New Chapters and Features | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Equality and Diversity | This chapter has been added. |
| Care Planning | This chapter has been added. |
| Risk Assessment and Planning | This chapter has been added. |
| Health and Safety | This chapter has been added. |
| Leisure Activities | This chapter has been added. |
| Fostering Statement of Purpose (2021) | This PDF has been added. |
| Training and Development of Foster Carers | This chapter has been added. |
February 2022
| Updated Chapters | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Vision for the Borough's Young People 2019/23 | This document has been updated. |
| Co-Working Protocol for Cases where there are Concerns Regarding Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) or Child Criminal Exploitation (CCE) | This chapter has been given a refresh in line with local guidance. |
| Care and Supervision Proceedings and the Public Law Outline | This chapter has been updated to reflect Practice Guidance on Special Guardianship (Family Justice Council). See in particular Section 9, Expectations of the Local Authority by the Court. |
| Complaints and Representations | This chapter has been amended to reflect the Children's Statutory Complaint Process: Guide for Practitioners (Local Government & Social Care Ombudsman) (see Relevant Guidance). |
| Electronic Recording of Meetings and Conversations | Information has been added on recording by employees in a professional capacity. |
| Children and Young People Aged 0-25 with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities | This chapter has been refreshed and updated and includes links to related reports from the House of Commons Library (see Section 16, Further Information and Statutory Guidance). |
| Short Breaks | Information in relation to the prohibition on looked after children under the age of 16 being placed in 'other arrangements' placements for the purposes of a short break has been added into Section 7, Short Break Settings. |
| Unaccompanied Migrant Children and Child Victims of Trafficking and Modern Slavery | A link has been added to the Independent Child Trafficking Guardians Referral Form. In areas where the ICTG service has been implemented, if the social worker considers a child to be a potential victim of modern slavery, they should refer them to the ICTG service by completing the online referral form. Section 6.1, Placement Options has been updated in relation to placements in 'other arrangements'. Section 4, Assessment has been updated in relation to Age Assessments. |
| Placements with Parents | Section 1, Planned Placements has been updated to add information on placements in 'other arrangements.' |
| Out of Area Placements | Section 6, Placements in Wales has been updated in line with updated Children Act 1989 Guidance and Regulations - Volume 2: Care Planning, Placement and Case Review. |
| Placements Outside England and Wales | Section 3, Placements in Scotland, Northern Ireland, Isle of Man and Guernsey has been updated in line with updated Children Act 1989 Guidance and Regulations - Volume 2: Care Planning, Placement and Case Review. |
| Remands to Local Authority Accommodation or to Youth Detention Accommodation | Information in relation to children under the age of 16 being placed in 'other arrangements' placements has been added into Section 3, Local Authority Accommodation. |
| Education of Looked After and Previously Looked After Children | This chapter has been significantly amended to reflect the 'Review of Sexual Abuse in Schools and Colleges (Ofsted)'; updated 'Keeping Children Safe in Education' (see Further Information) and Sexual Harassment in Education – Briefing (House of Parliament Library) (see Section 8.2, Protecting looked after children from sexual harassment and child on child abuse). The chapter has also been amended to reflect Promoting the Education of Children with a Social Worker: Virtual School Head Role Extension. |
| Placement for Adoption | The chapter has been updated in line with local guidance. |
| Applications for Special Guardianship Orders | This chapter has been updated to reflect Practice Guidance on Special Guardianship published by the Family Justice Council. See Section 6.2, Special Guardianship Applications in Care Proceedings and new Section 16, Special Guardianship Orders in International Cases. |
| List of Agency Decision Makers, Designated Managers and Nominated Officers | This chapter has been updated. |
| New Chapters and Features | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Placements in Other Arrangements | This chapter has been added to the manual. |
August 2021
| Updated Chapters | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Capacity and Consent | Section 4.3, Consent to the Use of Medication to Suppress Puberty has been updated and a new Section 5.4, Consent to Life-ending Withdrawal of Medical Support has been added to reflect High Court judgments. Section 2.1, Consent to Information Sharing has also been updated to reflect revisions contained in the statutory guidance Working Together to Safeguard Children. |
| Assessments | A new section on 16 and 17 year olds who may be Homeless and/or require Accommodation has been added. This is to reflect the issue of Homelessness and the vulnerability of young people without secure accommodation as identified in Working Together to Safeguard Children. |
| Care and Supervision Proceedings and the Public Law Outline | Section 2, Pre-Proceedings has been updated to include information in relation to pre-birth assessments and planning where the mother has learning disabilities. |
| Children and Young People Aged 0-25 with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities | Section 15, Resolving Disagreements has been updated to reference recent case-law holding that, as part of the mediation process, a parent/child/young person is entitled to bring along any supporter they wish, including a lawyer. |
| Unaccompanied Migrant Children and Child Victims of Trafficking and Modern Slavery | Amendments have made in line with the UK's exit from the EEA. |
| Families with No Recourse to Public Funds | This guidance has been updated to reflect the UK's withdrawal from the EU and reflect the UK's exit from the EEA. |
| Family and Friends Care Policy | A new Section 7, Education has been added containing information on the School Admission Code. |
| Relinquished Children | This procedure has been updated to reflect case-law setting out lessons for the future in non-notification cases. |
| Placements in Residential Care | This chapter has been updated to note that, from September 2021, looked after children under 16 years of age cannot be accommodated in unregulated independent or semi-independent placements. |
| Placements in Secure Accommodation on Welfare Grounds | A new Section 10, Use of Inherent Jurisdiction to Authorise a Placement Involving a Deprivation of Liberty When One or More of the Relevant Criteria Under Section 25 Children Act 1989 are Not Satisfied has been added. |
| Placements Outside England and Wales | Section 3, Placements in Scotland, Northern Ireland, Isle of Man and Guernsey has been updated to include additional information has been added in relation to placements in Scotland, in line with a High Court case. |
| Advocacy and Independent Visitors | This guidance has been reviewed and updated throughout. |
| Education of Looked After and Previously Looked After Children | Information has been added on the School Admission Code in Section 6, When a Child Needs or Joins a New School. |
| Holidays and School Trips In and Outside the UK | This guidance has been reviewed and updated throughout. Section 2.3, Insurance Cover has been updated to include details of how to apply for a Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) which provides access to reduced cost or free medical insurance in the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland. Section 2.4, Obtaining a Passport has also been updated to link to reissued Home Office guidance for Local Authorities Children's Services Departments when Applying for Passports on Behalf of Children. |
| Leaving Care and Transition | A link to the publication Joint Housing Protocols for Care Leavers: Good Practice Advice published by the (DfE and MHCLG) has been added. This publication seeks to support the development of joint protocols that can help local authorities to meet the accommodation needs of care leavers. Additional content has therefore been added in a new Section 8, Joint Housing Protocols for Care Leaver as well as Section 7, Reviews of Pathway Plans and Section 13, Where Care Leavers Live or Move to a Different Local Authority Area. Section 6, Pathway Planning has also been updated to note that, in relevant cases, immigration status should be included as a separate section on the Pathway Plan. This will help to ensure that young people who have been granted Pre Settled Status under the EU Settlement Scheme apply to convert this to Settled Status at the appropriate. Pathway Plans should contain clear information about what action needs to be taken by whom and when to ensure that the young person's right to remain legally in the UK is not jeopardised. |
| Youth Justice Supervision Policy | This policy has been reviewed and updated as required to reflect current practice for the supervision of Youth Justice staff. |
| Responsibilities of the Local Authority to Former Looked After Children and Young People in Custody | This chapter has been updated to reflect the Joint Housing Protocols for Care Leavers: good practice advice, Section 2.6 Care leavers leaving custody (DfE and MHCLG) (see Section 3.9, Planning for Release). |
| Applications for Special Guardianship Orders | Section 12, The Special Guardianship Support Plan has been updated to include information on the School Admission Code. |
| New Chapters and Features | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Aftercare under Section 117 of the Mental Health Act 1983 | This new policy applies when a child or care leaver is discharged from hospital after having been detained under the Mental Health Act 1983. |
February 2021
| Updated Chapters | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Complaints and Representations | Information contained in this procedure has been reviewed and refreshed as required to reflect processes for responding to complaints in Blackburn with Darwen. A new table summarising the timescales in place at Stage 3 has been added at Section 8.1, Summary of Stage 3 Timescales and a new Section 9, Withdrawing a Complaint has also been added. |
| Families with No Recourse to Public Funds | This guidance has been reviewed and extensively updated. |
| Placements in Secure Accommodation on Welfare Grounds | Section 6, Placements of Children under 13 Years has been updated following publication of revised DfE guidance. |
| Notifications of Significant Events | This procedure has been updated to reflect the latest Ofsted guidance for social care providers on the types of incident which they consider to be serious and which will therefore require notification to the regulatory authority. New sections on the quality of notifications and learning from notifications have also been added. |
| New Chapters and Features | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Capacity and Consent | In this new chapter, guidance is offered in relation to the various situations in which consent is likely to be sought, with reference to previous legal judgements. This is a potentially complex practice arena and if the practitioner is in any doubt about gaining consent they should always seek further advice from managers and legal advice must be sought as necessary. |
| Storage of Data on Electronic Devices | This new chapter provides guidance on the storage of personal data (including photographs) on mobile devices. 'Personal data' is any information about an identifiable living individual. 'Mobile devices' includes memory sticks, mobile telephones including smartphones, tablet technologies, netbooks and laptops. |
| Use of Social Media Sites by Social Care and Safeguarding Staff | The use of social media in a social care and safeguarding environment is a developing area. Cases and reviews have discussed the use of social media in social work practice. There is, however, currently no specific government guidance on the issue. This new chapter is designed to highlight some of the issues to be considered, with links to additional information. It is not intended to provide any legal advice, and legal advice must be sought as appropriate. Local Authorities and Courts may have local protocols in place on the use of social media/service of documents. |
August 2020
| Updated Chapters | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Assessments | This chapter has been updated in line with the new digital referral system for reporting potential victims of Modern Slavery to the NRM. |
| Unaccompanied Migrant Children and Child Victims of Trafficking and Modern Slavery | This chapter has been updated to take account of the new NRM digital referral form to report Modern Slavery. |
February 2020
| Updated Chapters | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Blackburn with Darwen Children's Advice and Duty (CADS) Practice Guidance | This chapter has been extensively updated and should be re-read throughout. |
| Blackburn with Darwen Children's Social Needs and Risk - Local Assessment Protocol | This protocol has been updated throughout and should be re-read. |
| Strategy Discussions and Section 47 Guidance | This chapter has been updated and should be re-read throughout. |
| Care and Supervision Proceedings and the Public Law Outline | This procedure has been updated to reference and note the Family Court Justice Interim Guidance on Special Guardianship, Courts and Tribunals Judiciary (May 2019) (see Section 1, Introduction). |
| Recording Policy and Guidelines | This chapter has been updated to reflect the Ofsted Twitter Blog of 24/07/2019 by Yvette Stanley, Ofsted's National Director for Social Care. The Blog highlights feedback from a number of inspections and explores what good recording should look like. (Ofsted: developments in children's social care – What makes an effective case record?). |
| Children and Young People Aged 0-25 with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities | An update has been made in Section 1, Principles to draw attention to OFSTED's advice that Local Authorities should exercise due diligence in ensuring schools for pupils with SEN are registered with the DFE. The same diligence should be exercised on behalf of pupils with SEN. |
| Private Fostering | This chapter has been amended. It confirms in Section 14, After the Private Fostering Arrangement Ends that any request for support by the young person should be made to the local authority in which they are resident or where the education and training is being provided. |
| Securing Sufficient Accommodation for Looked After Children and Care Leavers 2019 - 2021 | This chapter, formally known as Securing Sufficiency for Looked After Children and has been replaced with the Sufficiency Statement 2019 – 2021 Securing Sufficient Accommodation for Looked After Children and Care Leavers. |
| Placements with Parents | This chapter has been updated to note that this procedure does not apply to children subject to Interim Care Orders where the placement is required by the court under Section 38(6) Children Act 1989 for the purposes of assessment (see Scope of This Chapter). |
| Secure Accommodation (Criteria) Reviews | This chapter has been reviewed and updated. The requirement for clear separation of reviews (for clarifying whether the criteria for keeping a child in secure accommodation are met, and the child's looked after review) has been emphasised. Clarifying whether the criteria for keeping a child in secure accommodation are met must come before a LAC review so the decision can inform the LAC review and they must be chaired by different individuals. |
| Notification of Significant Events | This chapter has been extensively updated and should be re-read throughout. |
| Education of Children in Care and Previously Looked After Children | This chapter has been extensively updated and should be re-read throughout. |
| Operational Protocol Between Children's Services (Social Care, Leaving Care) and the Youth Justice Service | This chapter has been updated in line with local processes. |
| Assessments and Approvals of Foster Carers | A link has been added to Attending an IRM Panel: information sheets. See Section 9, Representations / Independent Review Procedure. |
| Supervision and Support of Foster Carers | This chapter has been updated to reflect in more detail the foster carer's role and responsibilities with respect to Fostering National Minimum Standards – Notification of Significant Events (see Section 1, Introduction) and relevant aspects of Schedule 6 The Fostering Services (England) Regulations 2011 (see Section 2, Planned Supervision Visits). |
| Review and Termination of Approval of Foster Carers | A link has been added to Attending an IRM Panel: information sheets. See Section 6, Representations/Review Procedure. |
| Allegations Against Foster Carers | This chapter has been reviewed and refreshed, and terminology has been updated where required. |
| Assessment and Approval of Prospective Adopters | This chapter has been amended to reflect the national changes in adoption registration and matching (see Section 9, After the Panel Recommendation). A link has also been added to Attending an IRM Panel: information sheets. See Section 10, Representations / Independent Review Procedure. |
| Placement for Adoption | This chapter has been amended to reflect the national changes in adoption registration and matching (see Section 7.13, Inter Agency Placements and Section 11, Children Approved for Adoption for Whom no Placement has been Identified). |
| Applications for Special Guardianship Orders | This chapter has been updated to reference and reflect the Family Justice Council Interim Guidance on Special Guardianship, Courts and Tribunals Judiciary (see new Section 6.2, Special Guardianship Applications in Care Proceedings). |
| Court Reports in Adoption/Special Guardianship Guidance | This chapter has been updated to note the Family Justice Council Interim Guidance on Special Guardianship (May 2019). See Section 3, Special Guardianship - Matters to be Dealt with in Report for the Court and final sections 11 and 12. |
| Contact Details for Safeguarding and Child Protection Concerns and Referrals | These details have been updated. |
| List of Agency Decision Makers, Designated Managers and Nominated Officers | These details have been updated. |
| New Chapters and Features | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Placing and Visiting Children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities or Health Conditions in Long-Term Residential Settings | This new chapter reflects statutory guidance in relation to children who are placed by health authorities or local authorities for more than 3 months in residential establishments for educational purposes and children placed in care homes or independent hospitals (including hospices) by health authorities or local authorities (Sections 85 and 86 of the Children Act 1989). |
