Amendments

2025

January 2025

Assessment and Approvals of Foster Carers	This chapter was updated in January 2025, to include a link to the Disclosure and Barring Service Guidance Leaflets - GOV.UK. in the Related Guidance Section. Information on Ofsted checks was also added in to Section 4.1, Checks.
Personal Budgets and Direct Payments	This chapter was updated in January 2025.
Placing and Visiting Children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities or Health Conditions in Long-Term Residential Settings	In January 2025, information was added in relation to Ofsted and CQC Joint Registration Guidance: Children's Homes and Health Care.
Leaving Care and Transition	In January 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.
Unaccompanied Migrant Children and Child Victims of Trafficking and Modern Slavery	In January 2025, links to sources of further information were updated.
Aftercare under Section 117 of the Mental Health Act 1983	This chapter was refreshed in January 2025.
Placement for Adoption	In January 2025, Section 4.2, Procedural Fairness was updated in line with case-law.
Recruitment, Assessment and Approval of Prospective Adopters	In January 2025, information was added to Section 3, Stage One-The Pre-Assessment Process, with details on how to request information about an applicant from Ofsted and a link to DBS Guidance was also added.
Allegations Against Foster Carers	This chapter was updated in January 2025, to include a link to the Disclosure and Barring Service Guidance Leaflets - GOV.UK. in Section 4.5, Concluding the Investigation.
Health and Safety	In January 2025, information was added into Section 9, Accommodation, Bedroom Space and Sharing in relation to bunk beds.
Local Authority's Sufficiency Duty - Accommodation for Looked After Children	This chapter was refreshed in January 2025, in line with How Local Authorities and Children's Homes Can Achieve Stability and Permanence for Children with Complex Needs (Ofsted) and to include a link to Somersets Sufficiency Strategy 2023 to 2028.
Children and Young People Aged 0-25 with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities	In January 2025, Section 15.1, Registering an appeal with the First-tier Tribunal (Special Educational Needs (SEN) and Disability) was updated in line with case law.
Allegations Against Prospective Adopters and in Relation to Children Placed for Adoption or Already Adopted	This chapter was updated in January 2025, with a link to DBS guidance leaflets - GOV.UK in Section 4.4, Concluding the Investigation.
Ofsted Inspection Framework	In January 2025, a link was added to Ofsted and CQC Joint Registration Guidance: Children's Homes and Health Care.