• Quick Guide to BAP/ MAP & Children's Placements Team.

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.

Section 6.1, Placement Options has been updated in relation to placements in ‘other arrangements’.

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

Part 1 of this chapter has been updated in line with case-law.

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 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 16, 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 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.

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.

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. Amendments have been made in:

• Section 1, Leaving Care Assessment of Need - in relation to children who are victims of trafficking or unaccompanied asylum seeking children;
• Section 3, Reviews of Pathway Plans - in relation to Relevant/Former Relevant young people moving to 'unregulated' accommodation; and
• Section 4, Personal Advisers - in relation to frequency of visits by Personal Advisers.

This chapter has been updated in relation to placing young people in custody, see Section 3.8, How to Request a Transfer or Placement Review.

Section 1, Normal Frequency has been amended to include further detail with regards to the Care Planning and Fostering (miscellaneous amendments) (England) Regulations 2015 which state in regulation 28 (3A):

• Where a child is in a designated long-term foster placement and has been in that placement for at least one year, and the child is of sufficient age and understanding and agrees to be visited less frequently than required by paragraph (2)(c) visits after the first year may take place at intervals of not more than six months. Any decision to extend the frequency of visits as previously outlined must be agreed by the IRO at a LAC Review.

• Induction, Information and Welcome Pack;
• Children's Consultation and Participation.

NOTE

• Open Case Recording Policy.

New appendices have been added:

• Appendix 1: Checklist - Actions and Paperwork for Children Becoming Looked After;
• Appendix 2: Decision Making to Look After Children;
• Appendix 3: Newly Accommodated LAC.

Section 6.1, No Obligation to Proceed if not Appropriate has been amended to include where the Agency ascertains someone who is the subject of an application is under the age of 18, it must not proceed further with the application.

Section 1, Normal Frequency has been amended to include where a child is in a designated long-term foster placement visits after the first year may take place at intervals of not more than six months. where the child, being of sufficient age and understanding, has agreed to be visited at this minimum frequency.

• Initial Enquiries;
• Section 47 Enquiries.

This chapter has been updated in line with the Children and Families Act 2014 and the overall aim of speeding up the adoption process. The chapter has been updated throughout and should be re-read. Information has been added in relation to:

• Fostering for Adoption (Section 1, Recruitment and Responding to Initial Enquiries and Section 5.4, Fostering for Adoption);
• Adoption Register (Section 9, After the Panel Recommendation);
• Duty to provide information on adoption support services (Section 1, Recruitment and Responding to Initial Enquiries and Section 2, Registration of Interest in Adoption);
• Ethnicity (Section 15.3, Ethnicity).

This chapter has been updated in line with the Children and Families Act 2014, and the overall aim of speeding up the adoption process. The chapter has been updated throughout and should be re-read. The main changes are in relation to:

• The duty to consider Fostering for Adoption placements;
• The removal of the requirement to give due consideration to a child's religious persuasion, racial origin and cultural and linguistic background when matching a child and prospective adopters;
• Post-adoption contact;
• Placing of siblings.