Amendments

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, 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 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, from Good decisions: supporting children aged 16 and 17 who need help when they are homeless (GOV.UK). A new Section 3.1, Domestic Abuse and Homelessness was added.

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

In November 2025, information was added from How Local Authorities Can Help Young Carers (Ofsted Blog) and additional resources were added to Further Information.

In November 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.

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 was added to this chapter.

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.

In July 2025, this chapter was revised throughout and should be re-read.

Section 1, Principles was updated in July 2025 with further information on planning for permanence is to ensure that children have a secure, stable, and loving family to support them through childhood and beyond.

Section 4, Care Orders and Supervisions Orders on a Care Plan of the Child Remaining at Home was updated in July 2025 with information from the Returning Home Policy.

In July 2025, a new Section 7.3, C: Discharging the Child Protection Plan information was added on factors to consider if a child is returning home.

Section 5, Key Principles was updated in July 2025 to include guidance on the importance of considering the return home of a child where possible.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

This chapter was updated in May 2025 with a link to DBS guidance leaflets (GOV.UK) in Related 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).

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

This chapter was refreshed in November 2024.

This chapter was updated in November 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 Death or Serious Injury to a Child (Looked After, Child in Need or Care Leaver Up to and Including the Age of 24) Procedure.

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

This chapter was added to the manual in November 2024.

In November 2024, this chapter was refreshed.

This chapter was refreshed in November 2024.

In November 2024, a information was added to Section 3, Stage One - The Pre-Assessment Process, with details on how to request information about an applicant from Ofsted. 

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

In November 2024, 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 the Family Networks and Family Group Decision Making Procedure.

This chapter was refreshed in November 2024.

This chapter was added to the manual in November 2024.

In November 2024, this chapter was refreshed.

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

This chapter was updated in May 2024. Information that the relevant local authority should be notified if the child was previously a looked after child was added into Section 17, Special Guardian Duty on the Death of the Child.

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

This chapter was updated in May 2024.

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 and President of the Family Division Practice Guidance: Placements in Unregistered Children's Homes in England or Unregistered Care Home Services in Wales.

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. 

Section 5.2.5, Providing Support was updated in May 2024 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 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, links were added to 'Guidance: Use of Force, Restraint and Restrictive Practices in the Children and Young People Secure Estate' and 'A Joint Thematic Inspection of Work with Children Subject to Remand in Youth Detention'.

This chapter was refreshed in May 2024.

Section 10, Use of Inherent Jurisdiction to Authorise a Placement Involving a Deprivation of Liberty was updated throughout in May 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. And 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.

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.