Amendments

2024

December 2024

Assessments	This chapter was refreshed in December 2024.
Local Contacts	This chapter was updated in December 2024.
Ofsted Inspection Framework	In December 2024, a link was added to Ofsted and CQC Joint Registration Guidance: Children’s Homes and Health Care.
Children and Young People Aged 0-25 with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities	In December 2024, Section 15.1, Registering an appeal with the First-tier Tribunal (Special Educational Needs (SEN) and Disability) was updated in line with case law.
Placing and Visiting Children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities or Health Conditions in Long-Term Residential Settings	In December 2024, information was added in relation to Ofsted and CQC Joint Registration Guidance: Children’s Homes and Health Care.
Assessment and Approvals of Foster Carers	In December 2024 information on Ofsted checks was added in to Section 5.1, Checks.
Personal Budgets and Direct Payments	This chapter was added to the manual in December 2024.
Prevention of Homelessness and Provision of Accommodation for 16 and 17 Year Olds who may be Homeless and/or Require Accommodation; and Duty to Refer	This chapter was added to the manual in December 2024.
Unaccompanied Migrant Children and Child Victims of Trafficking and Modern Slavery	In December 2024, links to sources of further information were updated.
Contacts and Referrals	This chapter was updated in December 2024.
Designated Managers	This chapter was refreshed in December 2024.
Aftercare under Section 117 of the Mental Health Act 1983	In December 2024 this chapter was refreshed.
Recruitment, Assessment and Approval of Prospective Adopters	In December 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.
Placement for Adoption	In December 2024 Section 4.2, Procedural Fairness was updated in line with case-law.
Family Networks and Family Group Decision Making	This chapter was added to the manual in December 2024.
Kinship Care	This chapter was updated in December 2024 to reflect Championing Kinship Care: The National Kinship Care strategy.

June 2024

Special Guardianship Orders	This chapter was updated in June 2024. 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 and Young People’s Continuing Care National Framework	This chapter was added to the manual in June 2024.
Unaccompanied Migrant Children and Child Victims of Trafficking and Modern Slavery	In June 2024, a link was added in Section 4, Age Assessment to BASW Age Assessment Practice Guidance. In Further Information, a link was added to Operation Innerste Process: Caseworker Guidance.
Local Contacts	This chapter was updated in June 2024.
Safeguarding Children and Young People from Sexual Exploitation	This chapter was updated in June 2024.
Children and Young People Aged 0-25 with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities	In June 2024, Section 15, Resolving Disagreements was updated to include information on Guidance: Carry Out an Order in Special Educational Needs Cases.
Supporting the Education and Promoting the Achievement of Children with a Social Worker, Looked After and Previously Looked After Children	In June 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.
Looked After Children in Contact with Youth Justice Services	This chapter was refreshed in June 2024.
Immediate Placements with Connected Persons (under Regulation 24 of the Care Planning, Placement and Case Review (England) Regulations 2010) and their Approval as Foster Carers	This chapter was refreshed in June 2024.
Notifications of Significant Events	In June 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	This chapter was updated in June 2024.
Children's Services Policies, Values and Principles	In June 2024 this chapter was updated.
Kinship Care	This chapter was updated in June 2024 to reflect Championing Kinship Care: The National Kinship Care Strategy.
Ofsted Inspection Framework	This chapter was updated in June 2024.
Care and Supervision Proceedings and the Public Law Outline	In June 2024 information was added in relation to family group decision-making in Section 1, Introduction and Time Limits and Section 5, Pre-Proceedings.
Assessments	This chapter was refreshed in June 2024.
Placements in Secure Accommodation	This chapter was updated in June 2024.
Contacts and Referrals	This chapter was updated in June 2024.
Whistleblowing	This chapter was updated in June 2024.
Death of or Serious Injury to a Child	This chapter was updated in June 2024.