Amendments

This chapter was refreshed in December 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.

In December 2025 information was added in Section 3.1 Placement before a Special Guardianship Order (SGO) is Granted, to highlight that the DfE has extended the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund initially until March 2027, with a new fair access limit of £3000.

This chapter was updated in December 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 December 2025 links have been 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 December 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.  Information was added from the Youth Justice Charter - know your rights in the youth justice system. The Youth Justice Charter sets out what children can expect at each stage of the youth justice system — helping them understand who does what, what their rights are, and what to do if the standards are not met.

This chapter was refreshed in December 2025.

This chapter was reviewed locally and updated in December 2025 to include information for the Restraint and restrictive practices: positive environments for children – Ofsted: social care.

In December 2025 the Merton Kinship Care Local Offer was added.

In December 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 July 2025.

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

In June 2025 links were added to additional sources of guidance.

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

This chapter was updated in June 2025 to include a link to the Disclosure and Barring Service Guidance Leaflets - GOV.UK. in the Related Guidance Section.

In June 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 6, Joint Housing Protocols for Care Leavers.

This chapter was updated in June 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 added in May 2025.