Amendments

This chapter was last updated in April 2026, in line with Working together to safeguard children 2026: statutory guidance and the latest Pan-Bedfordshire Threshold Document.

This chapter was extensively revised and updated in March 2026.

In March 2026, this chapter was updated with information from the Youth Justice Charter - Know Your Rights in the Youth Justice System.

In March 2026, Section 8.6, Where the Advice from the Guardian and the Local Authority assessment are fundamentally different in relation to the safety and best interests of a child was added to the chapter in line with practice guidance issued jointly by Cafcass and the ADCS.

In March 2026, this chapter was updated with information 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 updated in March 2026 to include information for the Restraint and restrictive practices: positive environments for children – Ofsted: social care.

In March 2026, Section 3, Security, Retention and Sharing of Records was updated in the light of the Records of Adopted and Care-experienced People – Good Practice Guidance for Record-keepers and Care Professionals (England and Wales) Guidance - published February 2024, which recommends that Adoption records where an Adoption Order is made should now have for "good practice" minimum retention of 125 years (date of birth + 125 years this was previously 100 years) or for "exemplary practice" for 150 years, or best practice would be permanent preservation/retention.

This chapter was revised in December 2025, in light of the development of the local assessment model.

This chapter was updated in December 2025, in line with Working together to safeguard children 2023: statutory guidance and local developments.

In September 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, and Section 3.1, Domestic Abuse and Homelessness was added.

This chapter was updated in September 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 September 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 updated in September 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 revised in September 2025.

This chapter was revised in September 2025. The Government guidance 'Report the death or serious harm of a child or care leaver' was 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.

In September 2025, information was added in Section 3, Examples of Adoption Support, to highlight that the DfE has extended the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund initially until March 2026, with a new fair access limit of £3000.

In September 2025, this chapter was added to the manual.

In September 2025, information was added in Section 6.3, 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 2026, with a new fair access limit of £3000.

In September 2025, this chapter was updated with guidance from the Youth Remand Concordat, which provides principles and guidance for Local Authorities and key agencies in working with children through the remand process.

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