Amendments

In September 2025, information about how to access pre-application advice on caring for children with complex needs (Ofsted) was added in Section 2.1, Additional Considerations Where a Child Has Multiple Needs. If you are thinking about opening a children’s social care service for children with complex needs.

In September 2025, information from Good decisions: supporting children aged 16 and 17 who need help when they are homeless (GOV.UK) 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. A new Section 3.1, Domestic Abuse and Homelessness was also 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, links have been added to Youth Remand Concordat - Guidance and principles to follow a joint approach throughout the youth remand process for local and national partners and Delivering the best for girls in custody - an independent review into placements and care for girls in the Children and Young People Secure Estate.

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

In March 2025, this PDF document was replaced with an updated version.

In March 2025, links were added to additional sources of guidance.

In March 2025, the chapter was refreshed locally where required and information was added into Section 9, Accommodation, Bedroom Space and Sharing in relation to bunk beds.

In March 2025, updates were made to reflect the Homelessness Code of Guidance - Chapter 22: Care Leavers (updated 3 May 2024) which sets out the expectation that authorities should have in place joint protocols which clearly outline jointly held corporate parenting responsibilities for care leavers. See Section 8, Joint Housing Protocols for Care Leavers.

In March 2025, this chapter was renamed from 'Developing Local Protocols for Assessment' and all content was replaced with a link to new PDF document.

In March 2025, links to sources of further information were updated.

This chapter was updated in March 2025 to include a link to the Disclosure and Barring Service Guidance Leaflets (GOV.UK) in Section 4.5, Concluding the Investigation.

Section 15.1, Registering an appeal with the First-tier Tribunal (Special Educational Needs (SEN) and Disability) was updated in March 2025 in line with case law.

In March 2025, Brent's New Ways of Working "This is Brent CYP. This is How we Grow" was added to Section 1, Introduction.

This chapter was updated in March 2025 to include a link to the Disclosure and Barring Service Guidance Leaflets (GOV.UK) in Related Guidance.

This chapter was added to the manual in March 2025.

This chapter was reviewed and refreshed locally in March 2025.

This chapter was refreshed locally where required in March 2025.

This chapter was refreshed in March 2025 in line with How Local Authorities and Children’s Homes Can Achieve Stability and Permanence for Children with Complex Needs (Ofsted).