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Amendments

2024

November 2024

Contacts and Referrals

This chapter was refreshed in November 2024.

Staying Put

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.

Assessment and Approvals of Foster Carers

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

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

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

Family Networks and Family Group Decision Making

This chapter was added to the manual in November 2024.

Personal Budgets and Direct Payments

In November 2024, this chapter was refreshed.

Assessments

This chapter was refreshed in November 2024.

Recruitment, Assessment and Approval of Prospective Adopters

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. 

Children's Services Policies, Values and Principles

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

Care and Supervision Proceedings and the Public Law Outline

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.

Child Protection Enquiries (Section 47)

This chapter was refreshed in November 2024.

Children and Young People’s Continuing Care National Framework

This chapter was added to the manual in November 2024.

Aftercare under Section 117 of the Mental Health Act 1983

In November 2024, this chapter was refreshed.

May 2024

Aftercare under Section 117 of the Mental Health Act 1983

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

Applications for Special Guardianship Orders

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.

Health and Safety

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

Placements in Other Arrangements

This chapter was updated in May 2024.

Placements in Residential Care

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.

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

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. 

Families with No Recourse to Public Funds

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.

Notifications of Significant Events

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.  

Children Involved in the Youth Justice System: Additional National Guidance

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'.

Young Carers

This chapter was refreshed in May 2024.

Placements in Secure Accommodation on Welfare Grounds

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.

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

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.