Channels & Choices Independent Fostering Agency Procedures Manual

A link has been added to Young People and Vaping (NHS).

Amendments have been made to the definition of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children in line with further revisions to Working Together to Safeguard Children.

Information in relation to sexually coerced extortion has been added into Section 3, Risks.

Information has been added to Section 5, Checks, with details on how to request information about an applicant from Ofsted.

Additional good practice information has been added on the checking of employment history and references.

• Section 1, Education Policy;
• Section 2.1, Personal Education Plans; and
• Section 3, What Foster Carers will do.

This chapter has been updated.

A link to 'Information about the IRM for Foster Carers' has been added into Section 6, Representations / Independent Review Procedure.

This chapter has been reviewed throughout and updated as required.

Section 2, Leaving Care has been updated.

This chapter has been reviewed throughout and updated as required. Information has been added in relation to the Disclosure and Barring Service Update Service.

This guidance has been reviewed and updated throughout to reflect the revised DfE Information Sharing Advice for Practitioners Providing Safeguarding Services to Children, Young People, Parents and Carers.

This chapter has been reviewed throughout and updated as required. Information has been added in relation to seeking parents' permission before discussing referral about them.

Information on the application process for criminal record checks for someone from overseas has been updated in Section 3, Checks.

Section 5, Tasks of Supervising Social Worker if Allegations are made Against the Foster Carer has been added.

Section 1, Introduction and Definitions of Significant Harm has been updated to reflect sometimes 'significant harm' refers to harm caused by one child to another (which may be a single event or a range of ill treatment), which is generally referred to as 'peer on peer abuse.'

Section 2, Looked After Reviews has been updated to reflect circumstances when they may be convened.

A link has been added to the Child Sex Offender Disclosure Scheme in Section 8, Child Sex Offender Disclosure Scheme.

Section 5, Medical Emergencies has been updated to reflect that before assistance arrives do not move the person other than to remove them from immediate danger or place them into the recovery position.

Section 4, Electronic Cigarettes (also called e-cigarettes and vaporisers) has been updated with regards to Public Health England - independent expert e-cigarettes evidence review.