Amendments

Section 8, Court Hearings has been updated in line with A View From the President’s Chambers: Relaunching the PLO (November 2022) and that section should be re-read.

• Children’s Services Policies, Values and Principles;
• Developing Local Protocols for Assessment.

This chapter has been amended locally. This chapter has been updated in order to reflect guidance for children who go missing from home or care.

A link has been added to the Independent Child Trafficking Guardians Referral Form. In areas where the ICTG service has been implemented, if the social worker considers a child to be a potential victim of modern slavery, they should refer them to the ICTG service by completing the online referral form.

This chapter has been significantly amended to reflect the 'Review of Sexual Abuse in Schools and Colleges (Ofsted, June 2021)'; updated 'Keeping Children Safe in Education' (see Scope Box) and Sexual Harassment in Education – Briefing (House Of Parliament Library, June 2021). (See Section 8.2, Protecting looked after children from sexual harassment and peer on peer abuse).

The chapter has also been amended to reflect Promoting the Education of Children with a Social Worker: Virtual School Head Role Extension, June 2021.

• Postnatal Care Up to 8 Weeks After Birth (NICE).

Section 2, Placement Reflection and Learning Meetings has been updated.

This chapter has been amended to reflect changes from ‘Practice Direction 27a - Family Proceedings: Court Bundles (Universal Practice to be Applied in the High Court and Family Court)’, in relation to the required maximum length of certain court documents, (unless otherwise specifically directed by the court). In addition, a new subsection of Section 4.1, Local Authority Documentation - ‘Final Care Plan’ provides further detail on the importance of recording information on the Care Plan which will help the child, parent or the child’s carer understand why decisions have been or are being made.

This chapter has been updated in line with the Children and Social Work Act 2017 and revised statutory guidance which require schools, through the designated teacher to provide support to previously Looked After Children.

This chapter has been updated in line with the Children and Social Work Act 2017 and revised statutory guidance.

These changes relate to the status of ‘previously Looked After Children’. A previously Looked After Child is one who is no longer looked after in England and Wales because they are the subject of an Adoption, Special Guardianship or Child Arrangements Order which includes arrangements relating to with whom the child is to live, or when the child is to live with any person, or has been adopted from ‘state care’ outside England and Wales.

This chapter has been updated in line with the Children and Social Work Act 2017 and revised statutory guidance.

These changes relate to the status of ‘previously looked after children’. A previously Looked After Child is one who is no longer looked after in England and Wales because they are the subject of an Adoption, Special Guardianship or Child Arrangements Order which includes arrangements relating to with whom the child is to live, or when the child is to live with any person, or has been adopted from ‘state care’ outside England and Wales.

This chapter has been updated to reflect amendments made by the Children and Social Work Act 2017.

These changes relate to the status of ‘previously looked after children’ i.e. a previously looked-after child is one who is no longer looked after in England and Wales because s/he is the subject of an adoption, special guardianship or child arrangements order which includes arrangements relating to with whom the child is to live, or when the child is to live with any person, or has been adopted from ‘state care’ outside England and Wales. The chapter includes a new Section 15, Mental Health and a new Section 8, Safeguarding the Looked After Child at School. A link has been added to the National Curriculum Assessments at Key Stage 2.

This chapter has been updated. Amendments have been made in:

• Section 5, Leaving Care Assessment of Need - in relation to children who are victims of trafficking or unaccompanied asylum seeking children;
• Section 7, Reviews of Pathway Plans - in relation to Relevant/Former Relevant young people moving to 'unregulated' accommodation; and
• Section 8, Personal Advisers - in relation to frequency of visits by Personal Advisers.

This chapter has been updated in line with the Children and Social Work Act 2017 and revised statutory guidance which require schools, through the Designated Teacher for Looked After Children, to offer support to previously looked after children.

• Children's Services - Who's Who.

• The Use of Written Agreements in Norfolk Children's Services;
• Social Worker Visits to Looked After Children.

• Financial Arrangements for Care Leavers.

Revisions have been made to the following Sections of this chapter:

• Section 2, Obtaining Agency Approval to Adoption Plan;
• Section 5, Child’s Adoption Medical;
• Section 7, Identification of Adoptive Parents (including Inter Agency Placements).