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.

In Relevant Guidance, a link has been added to Pre-proceedings and Family Justice Hub (Research in Practice).

The link has been updated to the SWET (updated April 2021). Section 2, Pre-Proceedings has been updated to include information in relation to pre-birth assessments and planning where the mother has learning disabilities.

In Section 3, Placements in Scotland, Northern Ireland, Isle of Man and Guernsey, additional information has been added in relation to placements in Scotland, in line with a High Court case.

Section 5, Pathway Planning has been updated to note that, in relevant cases, immigration status should be included as a separate section on the Pathway Plan. This will help to ensure that young people who have been granted Pre Settled Status under the EU Settlement Scheme apply to convert this to Settled Status at the appropriate. Pathway Plans should contain clear information about what action needs to be taken by whom and when to ensure that the young person’s right to remain legally in the UK is not jeopardised.

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.

It has also been amended to reflect HHJ Greensmith's comments regarding M and N (Children: Local authority gathering, preserving and disclosing evidence) [2018] EWFC 40 (1 June 2018)) (see Section 9, Good Local Authority Practice During Proceedings).

This chapter has been amended to reflect HHJ Greensmith's comments regarding M and N (Children: Local authority gathering, preserving and disclosing evidence) [2018] EWFC 40 (1 June 2018).

Amendments have been made in:

• Section 4, Leaving Care Assessment of Need - in relation to children who are victims of trafficking or unaccompanied asylum seeking children;
• Section 6, Reviews of Pathway Plans - in relation to Relevant/Former Relevant young people moving to 'unregulated' accommodation; and
• Section 7, Personal Advisers - in relation to frequency of visits by Personal Advisers.

A new Section 4.3, Complex Strategy Meetings – Managers has been added.

A Strategy Meeting, chaired by an appropriate manager from Sandwell Children's Trust is likely to be convened in the following circumstances:

• Where there are suspicions of organised or multiple abuse where concerns relate to fabricated or induced illness;
• Where concerns are complex, for example, forced marriage.

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.

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 16, Mental Health and a new Section 9, 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 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.

• Developing Local Protocols for Assessment.

• Provision of Accommodation to Homeless 16 and 17 year olds.

This procedure covers work that involves risks associated with working alone:

• Possible violence and aggression towards workers;
• Accidental injury on land and in premises;
• Vehicle accident/break-down;
• Ill-health of the worker;
• Security of ICT and mobile equipment and data.

This guidance defines the roles and responsibilities of parents and carers (including kinship carers and foster carers), residential staff, the Police, Children's Services and other relevant practitioners. It applies to all children that are missing, including:

• All children under 18 who go missing from their family home;
• All children in the care of Sandwell Children's Trust placed outside of Sandwell;
• All children in the care of Sandwell Children's Trust placed with Local Authority carers;
• All children placed in private establishments or with Independent Fostering Agencies within Sandwell, where compliance with the guidance is specified in the contract or placement agreement;
• Children in the care of a responsible Local Authority who are placed in Sandwell (as the host authority);
• All children in Sandwell for who the Local Authorities have continuing responsibilities towards as Care Leavers.