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| Updated Chapters | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Safe Use of the Internet, Social Media and Photographs | This chapter has been updated in line with the Online Safety Act 2023. |
| Updated Chapters | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Staffing and Safe Recruitment | A link to 'Education Supply Chains – A Better Hiring Toolkit' has been added. |
| 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. |
| Updated Chapters | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Smoking | This chapter has been refreshed. |
| Drugs | Information has been added to reflect the reclassification of nitrous oxide as a Class C drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (as amended). |
| Preparation for Leaving Care | A link to Ofsted Guidance: 'Children's Homes that Provide Care and Accommodation for Adults' has been added into Further Information. |
| Updated Chapters | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Female Genital Mutilation | A new Section 8, Other Harmful Practices has been added. 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. |
| Updated Chapters | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Leadership and Management | Section 2.3, 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 subsections 2.8, Prospective Staff Spending Time in the Home and 2.9, Carrying Out Interviews have been added in line with updated Ofsted guidance. A link has also been added to information on DBS Digital Identity Verification Guidance. |
| Updated Chapters | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Safe Use of the Internet, Social Media and Photographs | This chapter has been refreshed and additional links added in Further Information. |
| Updated Chapters | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| 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 has also been added in relation to online searches. |
| 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 been added. |
| New Chapters and Features | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Supporting Children and Young People with Disabilities | This chapter has been added. |
| Updated Chapters | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Positive Relationships and Behaviour Management | This chapter has been updated to incorporate Ofsted feedback. Information has been added into:
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| Use of Restraint and Physical Intervention | This chapter has been updated to incorporate Ofsted feedback. Added into Section 4, Staff Training: ‘This training will be refreshed on an annual basis’. Added into Section 12, Recording and Management Review: information on holding a restorative conversation with the child following physical intervention or restraint. |
| Missing Children | This chapter has been updated to incorporate Ofsted feedback. Information in relation to Philomena Protocols has been added into Section 6, Action to be Taken if a Child is Missing. |
| Case Recording | This chapter has been updated in relation to the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse. |
| Updated Chapters | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Self-Harming and Suicidal Behaviour | This chapter has been updated to include information from Self-harm: Assessment, Management and Preventing Recurrence NICE Guidance. |
| Staffing and Safe Recruitment | This chapter has been updated in line with Guidance: Children’s Homes – Recruiting Staff. |
| Updated Chapters | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
Equality and Diversity |
Section 1, Equality and Diversity for Children and Young People has been updated. |
Health Care Assessments and Plans |
Who Pays: Determining Which NHS Commissioner is Responsible for Commissioning Healthcare Services and Making Payments to Providers link has been added. |
Searching Children/Bedrooms |
Additional information has been added in relation to the arrangements around gender of staff undertaking searches. |
Safe Use of the Internet, Social Media and Photographs |
Links added to Further Information Section. |
| Updated Chapters | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Contact with Parents/Carers, Siblings and Others | Section 4, Supervised Contact has been updated to reflect a finding by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman that the supervisor's observations of the contact must be clearly recorded in the child's record and shared with the parents within 3 months of the visit. |
| This procedures manual has been significantly updated throughout. |
| Updated Chapters | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Staying in Touch (including Safe Use of the Internet and Social Media) | A link to 'Talking to Your Child About Online Sexual Harassment' (Children's Commissioner) has been added. |
| Health Notifications and Access to Services | A link to 'Who Pays?' has been added. It provides information on which NHS Commissioner is responsible for making payment to a provider. |
| Updated Chapters | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Allegations Against Staff | Amendments have been made in line with Keeping Children Safe in Education statutory guidance, to highlight the importance of sharing and responding to any concerns about the behaviour of an adult who works with children, no matter how small, including low level concerns. |
| Admission and Transition | This chapter has been amended to note the importance of a child’s belonging’s being transferred in appropriate luggage and to add a link to the NYAS 'My Things Matter' Report – support and respect care-experienced children and their belongings when they move (see Section 3.3, Placement Planning and Section 6 Support, Monitoring and Ending of Placements). |
| Moving to Another Placement | This chapter has been amended to add a link to the NYAS 'My Things Matter' Report – support and respect care-experienced children and their belongings when they move (see Section 2, Arrangements for the Transfer or Discharge). |
| Updated Chapters | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Staying in Touch (including safe use of the internet and Social Media) | This chapter has been amended to add a link to the Childnet toolkit which supports 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 (June 2021). Please see Section 5, Safeguarding in Schools. Section 5, Safeguarding in Schools has also been updated to reflect the importance of sharing allegations or concerns about an adult’s behaviour. Additional material in Section 1, Responsibilities of the Placing Authority has enhanced the Personal Education Plans (PEPs). A new Section 1.3, Pupil Premium Plus (PP+) Funding has also been added. |
| Countering Bullying | 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 (June 2021) and the Domestic Abuse Act 2021. See:
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| Recognising Abuse and Neglect | 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 (June 2021) and the Domestic Abuse Act 2021. See Section 6, Sexual Abuse and Section 8, Bullying (including Online/Cyberbullying). |
| E Safety | This chapter has been amended to add a link to the Childnet toolkit which supports carers with keeping children safe online. |
| Updated Chapters | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Contents List | A link has been added to NICE Guideline: Looked After Children and Young People in the Quality and Purpose of Care section. |
| Updated Chapters | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Residential Child Care – Key Principles | This chapter has been given a general refresh. |
| E Safety | NSPCC Report Remove Tool and the UK Council for Internet Safety (UKCIS) Digital Passport links have been added. |
| Updated Chapters | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Information Sharing | This guidance has been reviewed and updated throughout to reflect updated advice on information sharing contained in the statutory guidance Working Together to Safeguard Children. |
| Staff Qualifications and Employment Checks | A note has been added regarding the checks which employers must carry out to ensure that any person applying to work in the home has the right to work in the UK. See Section 3, Safe Recruitment and Employment Checks. |
| Updated Chapters | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Advocacy and Independent Visitors | Information contained in this chapter has been reviewed and updated as required. |
| New Chapters and Features | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Child Criminal Exploitation and County Lines | This chapter has been added to the manual. |
| Updated Chapters | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Referring Safeguarding Concerns | This chapter has been significantly updated and should be re-read throughout. |
| Allegations Against Staff | A fourth bullet point has been added into Section 1, Introduction to reflect the revised statutory guidance Working Together to Safeguard Children. The new bullet point means this procedure now covers situations where an individual has behaved or may have behaved in a way that indicates they may not be suitable to work with children. This is to capture concerns around transferable risk; for example where a person who works in the home is involved in a domestic abuse incident and this may have implications for their suitability to work with children. |
| Preparation for Leaving Care | This chapter has been amended to reflect Working Together to Safeguard Children in respect of Homelessness and the vulnerability of children who are in this situation, or are threatened with this (see Section 1.7, Moving to Independent Living in Pathway Plan). |
| New Chapters and Features | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Lone Working | This chapter has been added to the manual. |
| Updated Chapters | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Preparation for Leaving Care | This chapter has been updated and should be re-read. |
| Updated Chapters | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Complaints | This chapter has been significantly updated and should be re-read throughout. |
| New Chapters and Features | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Surveillance and Monitoring | This chapter has been added to the manual. |
| Updated Chapters | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Staff Qualifications and Employment Checks | This chapter has been significantly updated and should be re-read throughout. |
| Updated Chapters | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Allegations Against Staff | This chapter has been significantly updated and should be re-read throughout. |
| Recording and Reporting of Accidents | This chapter has been significantly updated and should be re-read throughout. |
| Updated Chapters | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Notification of Serious Events | This procedure, which sets out which agencies and individuals should be notified when a serious event occurs in relation to a child living in a Children’s Home, has been updated to reflect revised guidance issued by Ofsted in August 2019. The revised guidance sought to clarify what is meant by a ‘serious event’ with the aim of reducing the overall number of notifications made to Ofsted, and in particular reducing the number of repeat notifications made as a result of submitting additional / updated information. |
| Updated Chapters | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Looked After Review | This chapter has been updated. |
| Updated Chapters | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Notification of Serious Events | This chapter has been significantly updated and should be re-read throughout. |
| Moving to Another Placement | This chapter has been significantly updated and should be re-read throughout. |
| Updated Chapters | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Information Sharing | This chapter has been reviewed and updated throughout to reflect Working Together to Safeguard Children and the revised DfE Information Sharing: Advice for Practitioners Providing Safeguarding Services to Children, Young People, Parents and Carers. |
| Updated Chapters | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Recognising Abuse and Neglect | Section 6, Sexual Abuse and Section 8, Bullying (including Online/Cyberbullying) have been reviewed and completely updated. |
| Safeguarding Children and Young People from Sexual Exploitation | Links have been added to resources for practitioners working with children who have been, or are at risk of, Child Sexual Exploitation published by Barnardos and Research in Practice. |
| Care and Placement Plans Guidance | This guidance has been reviewed throughout and updated as required. Information in relation to Pathway Plans has been updated to reflect that care leavers can request support from local authorities up to the age of 25 years. |
| Updated Chapters | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Education | This chapter has been refreshed. |
| Updated Chapters | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Education | This chapter has been updated to reflect amendments introduced by the Children and Social Work Act 2017. A new Section 5, Safeguarding in Schools has been incorporated. |
| E Safety | This guidance has been reviewed and updated as required. Information on Sexting has been added into Section 1, Definition. |
| Updated Chapters | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Residential Child Care – Key Principles | This chapter has been updated and refreshed throughout. It should be re-read in its entirety. |
| Information Sharing and Confidentiality | This guidance has been reviewed and updated to reflect the publication of the EU General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. |
| Case Recording | This guidance has been reviewed and updated to reflect the publication of the EU General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. |
| Access to Records | This guidance has been reviewed and updated to reflect the publication of the EU General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. |
| Updated Chapters | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Contact with Parents / Carers and Siblings | This chapter has been updated to take account of the use of mobile communication with regards to contact. |
| Smoking and Alcohol | This chapter has been updated and refreshed throughout. It should be re-read in its entirety. |
| Health Care Assessments and Plans | This chapter has been updated in relation to consent to medical treatment. |
| Preparation for Leaving Care | This chapter has been updated to add clarification to the definition of Qualifying Young People. |
| Updated Chapters | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Provision and Preparation of Meals | This chapter has been slightly updated and refreshed throughout. |
| Smoking and Alcohol | This chapter has been updated in regard to E-cigarettes and Vaping. |
| First Aid, Home Remedies and Medication | A link has been added to the Health and Safety Executive Website. |
| Recognising Abuse and Neglect Guidance | This chapter has been updated and refreshed throughout. It should be re-read in its entirety. |
| Referring Safeguarding Concerns | This chapter has been updated and refreshed throughout. It should be re-read in its entirety. |
| Safeguarding Children from Radicalisation and Extremism | This chapter has been updated and refreshed throughout. It should be re-read in its entirety. |
| Offending and Anti-Social Behaviour – Guidance on when to Involve the Police | This chapter has been updated and refreshed throughout. It should be re-read in its entirety. |
| Accidents | A link has been added to the Health and Safety Executive Website. |
| Notification of Serious Events | This chapter has been updated and refreshed throughout. It should be re-read in its entirety. |
| Updated Chapters | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Safeguarding Children and Young People from Sexual Exploitation | This chapter has been updated in regard to a revised link to 'What to do if You're Worried a Child is being Abused: Advice for Practitioners - DfE'. |
| Updated Chapters | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Advocacy and Independent Visitors | This chapter has been updated in regard to linking to Advocacy services for children and young people – A guide for commissioners (The Children Society). |
| Transporting Children | This chapter has been updated in regard to the latest law on Child car seats. |
| Safeguarding Children and Young People from Sexual Exploitation | This chapter has been updated in regard to the next child sexual exploitation definition. |
| Updated Chapters | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Case Recording | A note has been added into Section 17, Records should usually be Retained After Closure, to remind all staff no children's social care records should be destroyed while the National Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse is on-going. |
| Missing Children | Section 1, Definition has been updated with a link to the College of Policing's definition of missing and absent. |
| Safeguarding Children and Young People from Sexual Exploitation | A link has been added to the 'Child Sexual exploitation: definition and guide for practitioners' - GOV.UK. |
| Allegations Against Staff | This chapter has been updated and refreshed throughout and should be re-read. |
| Updated Chapters | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Social Visits (including Overnight Stays) | This chapter has been substantiality updated and refreshed and should be re-read in its entirety. |
| Updated Chapters | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Confidentiality | A link has been added to the Information Sharing: Advice for practitioners providing safeguarding services to children, young people, parents and carers (March 2015). |
| Case Recording | This chapter has a new title, it has been updated and refreshed throughout and should be re-read. |
| Consents and Delegated Authority | This chapter has a new title, it has been updated and refreshed throughout and should be re-read. |
| Contact with Parents / Carers and Siblings | This chapter has a new title, it has been updated and refreshed throughout and should be re-read. |
| Staying in Touch (including safe use of the internet and Social Media) | This chapter has a new title, it has been updated and refreshed throughout and should be re-read. |
| Social Worker Visits | This chapter has been updated and refreshed throughout and should be re-read. |
| Advocacy and Independent Visitors | This chapter has been updated and refreshed throughout and should be re-read. |
| Education | This chapter has been updated and refreshed throughout and should be re-read. |
| Holidays and School Trips | This chapter has been updated and refreshed throughout and should be re-read. |
| Transporting Children | This chapter has been updated and refreshed throughout and should be re-read. |
| Leisure and Activities | A link has been added to Health and safety: advice on legal duties and powers For local authorities, school leaders, school staff and governing bodies - Department for Education. This chapter has also been updated and refreshed throughout and should be re-read. |
| Drugs and Substance Misuse | This chapter has been updated and refreshed throughout and should be re-read. |
| First Aid, Home Remedies and Medication | A link has been added to Managing Medicines in Care Homes NICE Guidelines. This chapter has also been updated and refreshed throughout and should be re-read. |
| Use of Restraint and Physical Intervention | This chapter has a new title, it has been updated and refreshed throughout and should be re-read. |
| Child Protection Referrals | This chapter has been updated and refreshed throughout and should be re-read. |
| Missing Children | This chapter has a new title, it has been updated and refreshed throughout and should be re-read. |
| Safeguarding Children and Young People from Sexual Exploitation | The links relevant information and guidance has been updated. This chapter has also been refreshed throughout and should be re-read. |
| Role of Appropriate Adult | This chapter has been updated and refreshed throughout and should be re-read. |
| Self Harming and Suicidal Behaviour | This chapter has a new title, it has been updated and refreshed throughout and should be re-read. |
| Monitoring Quality | A link has been added to The Quality and Purpose of Care Standard. This chapter has also been updated and refreshed throughout and should be re-read. |
| Staff Qualifications | This chapter has been refreshed throughout and a link has been added to Quality Standards Annex A: Qualifications for Staff Working in Children's' Homes. |
| Delegated Authorities and Notifiable Events | This chapter has a new title, it has been updated and refreshed throughout and should be re-read. |
| Care and Placement Plans Guidance | This chapter has been updated and refreshed throughout and should be re-read. |
| Placement Planning Meetings | This chapter has been updated and refreshed throughout and should be re-read. |
| Looked After Review | This chapter has been updated and refreshed throughout and should be re-read. |
| Preparation for Leaving Care | This chapter has been updated and refreshed throughout with a link added to The Care Leaver's Charter. It should be re-read. |
| Moving to Another Placement | This chapter has a new title, it has been updated and refreshed throughout and should be re-read. |
