Halton Children's Services Online Procedures

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).

This chapter has been updated in relation to the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse.

This chapter has been updated to include information from Guidance: Area SEND Inspections Framework and Handbook (November 2022).

This chapter has been updated to include information from the UK Social Work Practice in Safeguarding Disabled Children and Young People report.

Section 3, Section 20 Accommodation has been updated in line with case-law.

This chapter has been amended to include information from Annex to MOJ Circular 2022/03: Additional Information on Remand to Local Authority Accommodation (RLAA).

Information in relation to allergies has been added into Section 4, Health Plans.

This chapter has been amended to incorporate Ofsted feedback. Additional information has been added into Section 2, Positive Behaviour Support and Section 5.4, Recording of Sanctions.

This chapter has been updated.

This chapter has been revised to include information from the revised Ofsted inspection framework.

This chapter has been amended in line with revised Keeping Children Safe in Education. A new Section 2, The Difference Between an Allegation of Harm and a Concern has also been added.

This chapter has been amended in line with revised Keeping Children Safe in Education. A new Section 2, The Difference Between an Allegation of Harm and a Concern hasalso been added.

This chapter has been updated to reflect the updated Public Law Working Group Best Practice Guidance. This includes the new interim guidance, issued by the President of the Family Division, that addresses the lawful extension of care proceedings beyond 26 weeks. Section 6.3, Placement before a Special Guardianship Order (SGO) is Granted has been added in line with guidance that states where there is no pre-existing relationship between the child and special guardians the child should be placed on an interim basis before the special guardianship order is made.

This chapter has been updated.

This chapter has been added.

This chapter has been updated to reflect Keeping Children Safe in Education 2019 which replaces the 2018 version. Section 8, Safeguarding Children in Care at School has been amended to include reference to Upskirting (which is now a criminal offence) and serious violence.

This guidance has been updated 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 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 procedure includes links to the revised statutory guidance Prevention of Homelessness and Provision of accommodation for 16 and 17 year old young people who may be homeless and/or require accommodation (2018), and to the Guide to the duty to refer including the referral process.

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

This guidance has been updated to reflect amendments made by the Children and Social Work Act 2017 and associated Statutory Guidance.

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 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. The chapter includes new sections on Mental Health and Safeguarding Children in Care at School.

The following amendments have been made:

• 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

This guidance has been updated in line with the Children and Social Work Act 2017 and related statutory guidance which require schools, through the Designated Teacher for Looked After Children, to offer support to Previously Looked After Children.

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

Additional information has been added into to Section 1.3, Section 20 Accommodation, in line with recent case-law which considered the use of Section 20 Accommodation by local authorities These cases were clear that:

• A local authority failing to permit a parent to remove a child in circumstances within section 20(8) acts unlawfully; and
• The relevant information that a parent would need to be able to understand, retain and weigh up in order to have competency to consent to the accommodation of a child is as follows:
  • That the child will be staying with someone chosen by the local authority, probably a foster carer;
  • That the parent can change their mind about the arrangements, and request the child back from accommodation at any time;
  • hat the parent will be able to see the child.

• Storing Duplicate of Information Sent to SAR Applicants;
• Subject Access Requests Policy.