Amendments

This chapter was refreshed in November 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 refreshed in November 2025.

In November 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.

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

This chapter was updated in November 2025 to include information for the Restraint and restrictive practices: positive environments for children - Ofsted: social care.

In November 2025, information was added in Section 2.1, Additional Considerations Where a Child Has Multiple Needs 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 November 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 November 2025, information was added from How Local Authorities Can Help Young Carers (Ofsted Blog) and additional resources were added to Further Information.

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

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

This chapter was added to the manual in August 2025.

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.

Section 14.1, Registering an appeal with the First-tier Tribunal (Special Educational Needs (SEN) and Disability) was updated in May 2025 in line with case law.

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

In November 2024, information on Ofsted checks was added in to Section 5.1, Checks.

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

This chapter was refreshed in November 2024.

This chapter was refreshed in November 2024.

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.

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

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

This chapter was revised throughout to reflect revised Working Together to Safeguard Children.

This chapter was refreshed in May 2024.

This chapter was amended in May 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.

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

This chapter was revised throughout to reflect revised Working Together to Safeguard Children.

This chapter was refreshed in May 2024.

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. Also to include information from Guidance - Placing Children: Deprivation of Liberty Orders (Ofsted)- guidance for providers, social workers and placement commissioners on placing children, subject to a deprivation of liberty order (DoL), in unregistered settings.

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

In May 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 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 May 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 May 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 November 2023, information in relation to allergies was added into Section 4, Health Plans.

This chapter was updated in November 2023. Information in relation to legal aid for foster carers and prospective adoptive parents in First Tier Tribunal appeals was added into Section 15, Resolving Disagreements.

This chapter was added in November 2023.

This chapter was amended in November 2023 to note that with effect from 1 April 2023, the leaving care allowance increased from £2,000 to £3,000. It was also revised to include information from the revised Ofsted inspection framework.

In November 2023, information was 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.

In November 2023, amendments were made to reflect case-law in relation to assessing legal capacity.

In November 2023, information in relation to allergies was added into Section 6, Diet, Nutrition and Allergies.

In November 2023, this chapter was amended to include information from Annex to MOJ Circular 2022/03: Additional Information on Remand to Local Authority Accommodation (RLAA).

Section 3, Section 20 Accommodation was updated in November 2023 in line with case-law.

In November 2023, this chapter refreshed throughout and replaces the previous version.

This chapter was updated in November 2023. Information in relation to the National Age Assessment Board was added into Section 4, Assessment.