This chapter has been updated to reflect the changes made to the quality assurance process. It builds upon the previous Performance Management and Quality Assurance Framework to ensure there is a clear and succinct approach, with increased emphasis on the monthly thematic audits.

This chapter has been significantly amended to reflect the 'Review of Sexual Abuse in Schools and Colleges (Ofsted, June 2021)'; updated 'Keeping Children Safe in Education' (see Scope Box) and Sexual Harassment in Education – Briefing (House Of Parliament Library, June 2021) (see Section 8.2, Protecting looked after children from sexual harassment and child on child abuse).

This chapter has been amended to add a new Section Children who regularly choose to not engage in a statutory visit with their social worker: 'Where these circumstances arise, this should be discussed with the appropriate multi-agency group that are involved with the child, to agree alternative visiting arrangements'.

This chapter has been updated to reflect: Practice Guidance on Special Guardianship (Family Justice Council, June 2020) - see in particular Section 9, Expectations of the Local Authority by the Court.

Section 2, Pre-Proceedings has been updated to include information in relation to pre-birth assessments and planning where the mother has learning disabilities.

The updated link to the Social Work Evidence Template (see Related Guidance).

Amendments have been made to this chapter in line with the UK's exit from the EEA. Additionally, a link added to the Independent Child Trafficking Guardians Referral Form. In areas where the ICTG service has been implemented, if the social worker considers a child to be a potential victim of modern slavery, they should refer them to the ICTG service by completing the online referral form.

Section 6.1, Placement Options has been updated in relation to placements in 'other arrangements'. Section 4 was updated in relation to Age Assessments.

This chapter has been updated to reflect the Section 2.6 Care leavers leaving custody in Joint Housing Protocols for Care Leavers: good practice advice (DfE and MHCLG) 2020 (see Section 3.9 of the chapter, 'Planning for Release').

This chapter has been updated to reflect Practice Guidance on Special Guardianship published by the Family Justice Council (June 2020). See Section 6.2 Special Guardianship Applications in Care Proceedings and new Section 16 Special Guardianship Orders in International Cases. Also, In section 12. The Special Guardianship Support Plan, information was added on the School Admission Code.

This new policy applies when a child or care leaver is discharged from hospital after having been detained under the Mental Health Act 1983.

Information has been added in relation to:

A High Court case with regard to consent in the context of the use of medication to suppress puberty, (see new Section 4.3, Consent to the Use of Medication to Suppress Puberty), and,

NICE Quality Standard: Decision-Making and Mental Capacity (see new Section 6, NICE Quality Standard: Decision-Making and Mental Capacity).

Please reference.

This chapter has been fully and comprehensively updated to reflect the current Wirral policies and procedures with regard to 'Supporting Families Enhancing Futures' (SFES) and includes the definition of 'children in need'; principles; thresholds of intervention, together with working with children and families in need, including the issue of Consent and Information Sharing. The chapter includes 'The child's Map' (see Appendix) which explores the processes and decision-making processes, including the child in need review).

Please re-reference.

This strategic Wirral Policy establishes its purpose is to set out (Wirral's) commitment to embed equality, diversity and inclusion across (the) workforce, and to eliminate any unlawful discrimination. It provides the legislative background and context, identifying the '4 main forms of unlawful discrimination', and Wirral's commitments to achieve the strategic objective.

Please reference.

• Child in Need Guidance - Practitioner and Multi-Agency Summary Handbook.

• Complaints and Representations;
• Transfer of Foster Carers Protocol England.

This chapter has been updated to reflect Keeping Children Safe in Education 2019 which replaces the 2018 version. Section 8, Safeguarding the Looked After Child at School has been amended to include reference to Upskirting (which is now a criminal offence) and serious violence.

This chapter has been amended in to reflect changes from 'Practice Direction 27a - Family Proceedings: Court Bundles (Universal Practice to be Applied in the High Court and Family Court)', in relation to the required maximum length of certain court documents, (unless otherwise specifically directed by the court). In addition, a new subsection of Section 4.1, Local Authority Documentation - 'Final Care Plan' provides further detail on the importance of recording information on the Care Plan which will help the child, parent or the child's carer understand why decisions have been or are being made.

This chapter has been updated in line with the Children and Social Work Act 2017 and revised statutory guidance which require schools, through the designated teacher to provide support to previously Looked After Children.

Amendments have been made in:

• Section 5, Leaving Care Assessment of Need - in relation to children who are victims of trafficking or unaccompanied asylum seeking children;
• Section 7, Reviews of Pathway Plans - in relation to Relevant/Former Relevant young people moving to 'unregulated' accommodation; and
• Section 8, Personal Advisers - in relation to frequency of visits by Personal Advisers.

This chapter already links to statutory guidance:

• Prevention of Homelessness and Provision of accommodation for 16 and 17 year old young people who may be homeless and/or require accommodation (2018): this guidance is solely concerned with the functions of children's services and housing services when young people seek help from, or are referred to, local authorities because of homelessness or being threatened with homelessness. It incorporates judgements made in the House of Lords over several years around the duties of local authorities under Section 20 (Children Act 1989) and Part 7 of the Housing Act 1996. The guidance also reflects the duties introduced under the Homelessness Reduction Act (2017).
  
  and now includes a link to:

• Homelessness - Duty to Refer: the Homelessness Reduction Act (2017) places a duty on specified public authorities to refer service users who they think may be homeless or threatened with homelessness to local authority homelessness/housing options teams.

The guidance provides helpful information and detail on the referral process which is brought out in additional links below.

This chapter has been updated in line with the Children and Social Work Act 2017 and revised statutory guidance.

These changes relate to the status of 'previously Looked After Children'. A previously Looked After Child is one who is no longer looked after in England and Wales because they are the subject of an Adoption, Special Guardianship or Child Arrangements Order which includes arrangements relating to with whom the child is to live, or when the child is to live with any person, or has been adopted from 'state care' outside England and Wales.

This chapter has been updated in line with the Children and Social Work Act 2017 and revised statutory guidance.

These changes relate to the status of 'previously looked after children'. A previously Looked After Child is one who is no longer looked after in England and Wales because they are the subject of an Adoption, Special Guardianship or Child Arrangements Order which includes arrangements relating to with whom the child is to live, or when the child is to live with any person, or has been adopted from 'state care' outside England and Wales.

This chapter has been substantially updated to reflect amendments made by the Children and Social Work Act 2017.

These changes relate to the status of 'previously looked after children' i.e. a previously looked-after child is one who is no longer looked after in England and Wales because s/he is the subject of an adoption, special guardianship or child arrangements order which includes arrangements relating to with whom the child is to live, or when the child is to live with any person, or has been adopted from 'state care' outside England and Wales. The chapter includes a new Section 15, Mental Health and a new Section 8, Safeguarding the Looked After Child at School.

This chapter has been updated in line with the Children and Social Work Act 2017 and revised statutory guidance which require schools, through the Designated Teacher for Looked After Children, to offer support to previously looked after children.

Section 3, Security, Retention and Sharing of Records has been updated in line with Adoption and Care Planning (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2018, which provides that an adoption agency may disclose an adoption case record to another adoption agency for purposes related to either agency's functions as an adoption agency.

This chapter has been updated in line with the Children and Social Work Act 2017 and revised statutory guidance which require schools, through the designated teacher to provide support to previously Looked After Children.

(A previously Looked After Child is one who is no longer looked after in England and Wales because they are the subject of an Adoption, Special Guardianship or Child Arrangements Order which includes arrangements relating to with whom the child is to live, or when the child is to live with any person, or has been adopted from 'state care' outside England and Wales).

This chapter aims to provide practitioners with some basic guidelines in how to recognise and support children and young people who self-harm and/or express active suicidal intent.

Although acts of self-harm and attempted suicide do not necessarily involve an intention to die, there is a strong association between self-harm, attempted suicide and subsequent death by suicide. Self-harm is always a sign of something being seriously wrong. Every child or young person who self-harms must be taken seriously and offered help. Please reference.

This chapter has been substantially amended to reflect the Children and Social Work Act 2017 on the Leaving Care Services and Care leavers. Particularly:

• The Local Offer - all local authorities must publish up-date information about the services it offers for care leavers and other services which may assist care leavers in, or preparing for, adulthood and independent living.
• Corporate parenting: the Children and Social Work Act 2017 establishes 7 Corporate Parenting Principles, which should include and involve not only the Local Authority providing Children's Social Care services, but also District Councils (where appropriate) and partner agencies.
• Continuing Support Up to the Age of 25: all Care leavers between the ages of 21 and up to 25 will be entitled to support irrespective of whether they are in education or training. Even when they may not initially choose such support, they can return and seek support, which can be provided on specific issues or on a more comprehensive basis where this is needed.

This chapter identifies that babies are particularly vulnerable to abusive environments and where the potential for this is understood and an early help assessment is important at the pre-birth stage.

Note that providers of health services, in particular those providing midwifery services, may have their own detailed agency specific guidance which should be read in conjunction with this guidance. Please reference.

A new Section has been added on Deprivations of Liberty and Mental Capacity. This procedure should be used by practitioners working with children and young people aged 16 and over, where a deprivation of liberty may be occurring.

It applies to all social care practitioners carrying out any social care function with children who are receiving care or treatment in any setting.

A deprivation of liberty occurs when there has been a breach of a child or young person's, Article 5 (European Convention on Human Rights).

Deprivations of liberty requiring authorisation by a Court of Law that have not been authorised are unlawful and a breach of a child or young person's basic human rights, (European Convention on Human Rights, Article 5).

The Chapter identifies the key issues for those under 16 and those 16 and 17 year olds and older.

• Quality Assurance Framework.

This chapter has been updated throughout to reflect the changes in the organisational structure and systems and to recognise the Strengthening Families Enhancing Futures model of working. Additional or updated material has been in added in:

• Section 2.10, Making Effective Child in Need Plans;
• Section 2.11, Timings and Frequency; and
• Section 3.3, De-escalating a Case from Child in Need to Team Around the Family.

This chapter has been updated to reflect the outcome of a judgment following an application to remove a child at birth. The judge highlighted 'good practice steps' to undertaking assessments and issuing care proceedings in respect of the removal of a child at birth, including the assessment process (see Section 3, Purpose of a Single Assessment and Section 5.1, Pre-birth 'Good Practice Steps').

This chapter has been substantially amended throughout to update the assessment, review process and procedures. New sections have been added:

• Section 21, Immigration Status;
• Section 22, Requirements;
• Section 23, Prohibitions;
• Section 24, Appeals process for Private Fostering;
• Section 25, Notifications to Other Authorities;
• Section 26, Death of a Privately Fostered Child.

This detailed and comprehensive chapter seeks to describe and establish the standards required of social workers with regard to practice and includes key aspects and expectations for working with children and families subject to a variety of situations and through a variety of processes. It highlights the importance of being clear about the wishes and feelings of children and what life is like for them in the family or care environment they are in. Also identified - recording, having SMART plans and the role of supervision. The chapter links to a range of chapters within the Wirral Procedure Manual to promote access to additional information.

This chapter has been updated by adding a link to DfE, Mental health and behaviour in schools (2016).

This chapter seeks to provide a framework for those individuals who communicate with the department and staff in a way that is abusive, disproportionately demanding and persistent. However, emphasis is made to acknowledge that individuals can have legitimate complaints and are unhappy with the outcome of services and are often under great personal stress and as such should not be seen within the context of being vexatious.

This chapter reflects the Young Carers (Needs Assessments) Regulations 2015 and provides a framework with regard to the person undertaking the assessment and the key issues that that need to be undertaken as part of that assessment.

Young Carers are defined as anyone who is under 18 years who provides practical or emotional support to another member of the family, whether this is an adult or child.

The local authority is expected also to undertake reasonable steps to identify 'young carers' in their area.

This chapter reflects the statutory guidance 'Ceasing to look after a child' in 'Care Planning, Placement and Case Review Regulations (2015)' as amended by the 'Care Planning and Fostering (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2015' together with Working Together to Safeguard Children 2015.

These procedures apply to young people who are or have been in care and are entitled to support after their 16th birthday.

There are 3 categories of those leaving care all of whom are entitled to support after their 16th birthday. The categories are Eligible, Relevant, and Former Relevant.

• Case File Audit Guidance;
• Joint Protocol Between Wirral Youth Offending Service and Children and Young People's Department.

This chapter has been updated bay adding a note in respect of the Serious Crime Act 2015: an offence of sexual communication with a child has been introduced. This applies to an adult who communicates with a child and the communication is sexual or if it is intended to elicit from the child a communication which is sexual.

As part of its continuous improvement of chapters within the Manual, amendments have been made some to the following chapters:

• Assessment and Approval of Prospective Adopters;
• Adoption Panel;
• Placement for Adoption and Matching;
• Adoption Support;
• Adoption Reviews;
• Special Guardianship Orders.

This chapter has been updated to include information on the Child Sex Offender Disclosure Scheme, which is designed to provide members of the public with a formal mechanism to ask for disclosure about people they are concerned about.