Amendments
May 2024
| Updated Chapters | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Recognising Abuse and Neglect | Definitions have been updated in line with revised Working Together to Safeguard Children. |
| Child Criminal Exploitation and County Lines | Minor amendments have been made to definitions in line with Working Together to Safeguard Children. |
| Safe Use of the Internet, Social Media and Photographs | This chapter has been refreshed and additional links added in Further Information. |
| Female Genital Mutilation | A new section has been added on Other Harmful Practices. The Health and Care Act 2022 has made it illegal to carry out, offer or aid and abet virginity testing or hymenoplasty in any part of the UK. It is also illegal for UK nationals and residents to do these things outside the UK. Information has also been added on Breast Flattening which is an offence as set out in CPS So-Called Honour-Based Abuse Legal Guidance. |
| Leadership and Management | Section 2.2, Appointment of Manager has been updated in line with updated Ofsted Guidance – Social Care Common Inspection Framework: Children’s Homes. |
| Staffing and Safe Recruitment | New sections have been added in to Section 2, Safe Recruitment and Employment Checks, on Prospective Staff Spending Time in the Home and Carrying Out Interviews, in line with updated Ofsted guidance. |
| Next update: November 2024 |
November 2023
| Updated Chapters | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Providing Personalised Care | A new Further Information section has been added. |
| Health Care Assessments and Plans | Information in relation to allergies has been added into Section 2, Health Care Plans. |
| First Aid, Home Remedies and Medication | A new Section 2, Allergies has been added. |
| Provision and Preparation of Meals | Information in relation to allergies has been added into Section 1, Responsibility and Risk Assessments. |
| Staffing and Safe Recruitment | This chapter has been amended in line with revised statutory guidance Keeping Children Safe in Education. Information has been added to note that Keeping Children Safe in Education provides that copies of a curriculum vitae should only be accepted alongside an application form as a curriculum vitae on its own may not provide adequate information. Information in relation to online searches has also been added. |
| Referring to LADO/Allegations Against Staff | 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. |
| New Chapters and Features | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Supporting Children and Young People with Disabilities | This chapter has been added. |
May 2023
| Updated Chapters | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Positive Relationships and Behaviour Management | This chapter has been updated to incorporate Ofsted feedback. Information has been added into Section 2, Positive Behaviour Support, Section 6, Risk Assessment and Section 9, Recording and Reporting. |
| Use of Restraint and Physical Interventions | This chapter has been updated to incorporate Ofsted feedback. Added into Section 4, Staff Training: 'This training will be refreshed on an annual basis'. Information on holding a restorative conversation with the child following physical intervention or restraint has been added into Section 12, Recording and Management Review. |
| Bedroom Search/Searching Children | Additional information has been added in relation to the arrangements around gender of staff undertaking searches. |
| Self Harm and Suicidal Behaviour | This chapter has been amended to include a link to Self-harm: Assessment, Management and Preventing Recurrence NICE Guidance in the Relevant Information and Guidance section. |
| Staffing and Safe Recruitment | This chapter has been updated in line with Guidance: Children's Homes – Recruiting Staff (Ofsted). |
| Case Recording | This chapter has been updated in relation to the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse. |
November 2022
| Updated Chapters | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Children's Consultation and Participation | This chapter has been refreshed. |
| Providing Personalised Care | This chapter has been refreshed. |
| Advocacy, Independent Visitors and Independent Reviewing Officers | This chapter has been refreshed. |
| Education | This chapter has been refreshed. |
| Leisure and Activities | This chapter has been refreshed. |
| Health and Wellbeing, Health Notifications and Access to Services | This chapter has been refreshed. |
| Smoking | This chapter has been refreshed. |
| Alcohol | This chapter has been refreshed. |
| Drugs | This chapter has been refreshed. |
| Positive Relationships and Behaviour Management | This chapter has been refreshed. |
| Use of Restraint and Physical Interventions | This chapter has been refreshed. |
| Bullying | This chapter has been refreshed. |
| Safeguarding Children and Young People and Referring Safeguarding Concerns | This chapter has been refreshed. |
| Safe Use of the Internet, Social Media and Photographs | This chapter has been refreshed. |
| Personal Care and Physical Contact with Children | This chapter has been refreshed. |
| Surveillance and Monitoring | This chapter has been refreshed. |
| Staffing and Safe Recruitment | This chapter has been refreshed. |
| Staff Qualifications | This chapter has been refreshed. |
| Staff Supervision and Appraisal | This chapter has been refreshed. |
| Whistleblowing or Raising Concerns at Work | This chapter has been refreshed. |
| Care and Placement Planning | This chapter has been refreshed. |
| Looked After Reviews and Disruption Meetings | This chapter has been refreshed. |
| Case Recording | This chapter has been refreshed. |
| New Chapters and Features | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Equality and Diversity | This chapter has been added to the procedures manual. |
| Health and Safety in the Home | This chapter has been added to the procedures manual. |
| Female Genital Mutilation | This chapter has been added to the procedures manual. |
| Leadership and Management | This chapter has been added to the procedures manual. |
| Recording and Reporting of Accidents | This chapter has been added to the procedures manual. |
| Risk Assessment and Planning | This chapter has been added to the procedures manual. |
| Removed Chapters | |
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May 2022
| Updated Chapters | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Staying in Touch, the Safe Use of the Internet, Social Media and Taking Photographs | This chapter has been amended to add a link to Childnet toolkit to support carers with keeping children safe online. |
| Education | This chapter has been amended throughout to reflect Keeping Children Safe in Education Statutory Guidance and the outcome of Ofsted's thematic report, Review of sexual abuse in schools and colleges. A new Section 2.1, Placing the Child and new Section 2.2, The Role of the Virtual Head (VSH) have been added and additional material has enhanced the Section 2.3, Personal Education Plans (PEPs). Section 5, Safeguarding in Schools has been updated to reflect the importance of sharing allegations or concerns about an adult's behaviour as set out in Keeping Children Safe in Education. |
| Use of Restraint and Physical Interventions | A link has been added to Guidance: Positive Environments Where Children Can Flourish (Ofsted). |
| Countering Bullying and Peer Abuse | This chapter has been amended to reflect Keeping Children Safe in Education Statutory Guidance, the outcome of Ofsted's thematic report, Review of sexual abuse in schools and colleges and the Domestic Abuse Act 2021. See Section 2, Definition of Bullying and Peer Abuse and Section 3, Responding to Bullying. |
| Placements and Admissions | This chapter has been updated throughout. |
November 2021
| Updated Chapters | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Statement of Purpose | This chapter has been refreshed throughout in line with local practice. |
| Children's Guide | This chapter has been refreshed throughout in line with local practice. |
| Providing Personalised Care | This chapter has been refreshed throughout in line with local practice. |
| Information Sharing | This chapter has been revised throughout to reflect updated advice on information sharing contained in updated Working Together to Safeguard Children. |
| Consents and Delegated Authority | This chapter has been refreshed throughout in line with local practice. |
| Social Visits (Including Overnight Stays) | This chapter has been refreshed throughout in line with local practice. |
| Staying in Touch, the Safe Use of the Internet, Social Media and Taking Photographs | Links have been added to the NSPCC Report Remove Tool and the UK Council for Internet Safety (UKCIS) Digital Passport. |
| Advocacy and Independent Visitors | This chapter has been revised throughout. |
| Transporting Children | This chapter has been refreshed throughout in line with local practice. |
| Key Worker Guidance | This chapter has been refreshed throughout in line with local practice. |
| Bedroom Search/Searching Children | This chapter has been refreshed throughout in line with local practice. |
| Offending and Anti-Social Behaviours - Guidance on when to Involve the Police | This chapter has been refreshed throughout in line with local practice. |
| Identifying and Supporting Children and Young People Vulnerable to Violent Extremism including Radicalisation | This chapter has been refreshed throughout in line with local practice. |
| Role of Appropriate Adults | This chapter has been refreshed throughout in line with local practice. |
| Visitors to the Home | This chapter has been refreshed throughout in line with local practice. |
| Monitoring and Review | A link has been added to local guidance on Regulation 44. |
| Placement Planning Meetings | This chapter has been refreshed throughout in line with local practice. |
| New Chapters and Features | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Child Criminal Exploitation and County Lines | This chapter has been added to the procedures manual. |
| Regulation 44 | This document has been added to the procedures manual. |
