Contents

1. All Children

1.1	Policy, Values and Principles
1.1.1	Children's Services Policies, Values and Principles	Updated
1.1.2	Children's Consultation and Participation
1.1.3	Social Work Model
1.1.4	Equality and Diversity
1.2	Early Help and Thresholds for Children's Social Care Services
1.2.1	Early Help
1.2.2	Threshold Guidance: Supporting Professional Judgement
1.3	Children's Social Care - Assessment and Planning
1.3.1	Contacts and Referrals	Updated
1.3.2	Assessments	Updated
1.3.3	Child Protection Enquiries (Section 47)	Updated
	See also: Pan Berkshire Safeguarding Children Partnership Procedures
1.3.4	Children Missing from Home and Care
1.3.5	Capacity and Consent
1.3.6	Family Networks and Family Group Decision Making	New
1.4	Child in Need
1.4.1	Child in Need Plans and Reviews
1.5	Legal Proceedings
1.5.1	Applications for Emergency Protection Orders
1.5.2	Care and Supervision Proceedings and the Public Law Outline	Updated
1.5.3	Legal Gateway/Planning Meetings
1.5.4	Disclosure of Information between Family and Criminal Agencies and Jurisdictions: 2024 Protocol	Updated
1.5.5	Family Justice Resource Hub (ADCS) - This hosts a series of practical resources, such as   templates, tools and practice guidance, which will be of interest to those working
	See also: Cross-border Child Protection Cases: The 1996 Hague Convention
1.6	Complaints and Whistleblowing
1.6.1	Complaints and Representations
1.6.2	Whistleblowing or Raising Concerns at Work
1.7	Notifications
1.7.1	Serious Incident Notifications	Updated

2. Case Management and Recording

2.1	Recording Policy and Guidelines
2.2	Case Records and Retention
2.3	Access to Records / Subject Access Requests
2.4	Confidentiality Policy
2.5	Electronic Recording of Meetings and Conversations
2.6	Chronologies
2.7	Supervision Policy
2.8	Use of Social Media Sites by Social Care and Safeguarding Staff
2.9	Storage of Data on Mobile Devices

3. Children in Particular Circumstances

3.1	Children with Disabilities
3.1.1	Children and Young People Aged 0-25 with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities	Updated
3.1.2	Personal Budgets and Direct Payments	Updated
3.1.3	Short Breaks
3.1.4	Placing and Visiting Children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities or Health Conditions in Long-Term Residential Settings
3.1.5	Children and Young People’s Continuing Care National Framework	New
3.2	Deprivations of Liberty and Mental Capacity
3.2.1	Deprivations of Liberty
3.2.2	Mental Capacity
3.3	Children from Abroad
3.3.1	Unaccompanied Migrant Children and Child Victims of Trafficking and Modern Slavery	Updated
3.3.2	Families with No Recourse to Public Funds
3.4	Homelessness
3.4.1	Supporting Young People aged 16 and 17 who are Homeless or at Risk of Homelessness
3.5	Family and Friends Care
3.5.1	Friends, Family and Connected Persons
3.5.2	Private Fostering
3.6	Young Carers
3.6.1	Young Carers
3.7	Relinquished Children
3.7.1	Relinquished Children
3.8	Special Guardianship Orders
3.8.1	Special Guardianship Orders	Updated
3.8.2	Court Reports in Placement Order Applications and Adoption/Special Guardianship Guidance
3.9	Mental Health
3.9.1	Aftercare under Section 117 of the Mental Health Act 1983	Updated

4. Looked After Children

4.1	Decision to Look After and Care Planning
4.1.1	Local Authority's Sufficiency Duty - Accommodation for Looked After Children
4.1.2	Decision to Look After
4.1.3	Care Planning
4.1.4	Section 20 Accommodation
4.1.5	Ceasing to Look After a Child
4.1.6	Permanence Planning Guidance
	See also: Early Permanence: Fostering for Adoption, Concurrent Planning and Temporary Approval as Foster Carers of Approved Prospective Adopters
4.1.7	Placement Planning and Disruption Meetings
4.1.8	Risk Assessment and Planning
4.1.9	Providing Personalised Care
4.1.10	Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority Claims for Looked After Children
4.2	Placements
4.2.1	Placements with Parents
4.2.2	Placements with Connected Persons	Updated
4.2.3	Placements in Foster Care
4.2.4	Placements in Residential Care
4.2.5	Placements in Secure Accommodation on Welfare Grounds	Updated
4.2.6	Out of Area Placements
4.2.7	Placements Outside England and Wales
4.2.8	Placements in Other Arrangements
4.2.9	Remands to Local Authority Accommodation or to Youth Detention Accommodation
4.2.10	Notifications from Other Local Authorities/Placement Providers
4.2.11	Delegation of Authority to Foster Carers and Residential Workers
4.2.12	Health and Safety
	See also: Looked After Children and Young People in Contact with Youth Justice Services
4.3	Monitoring and Reviews
4.3.1	Social Worker Visits to Looked After Children
4.3.2	Advocacy and Independent Visitors
4.3.3	Looked After Reviews
4.3.4	Appointment and Role of Independent Reviewing Officers	Updated
4.3.5	Secure Accommodation (Criteria) Reviews
4.3.6	Notifications of Significant Events	Updated
4.4	Contact and Overnight Stays, School Trips and Holidays
	See also: Delegation of Authority to Foster Carers and Residential Workers
4.4.1	Family Time with Parents/Adults and Siblings
4.4.2	Social Visits (Including Overnight Stays)
4.4.3	Holidays and School Trips In and Outside the UK
4.4.4	Leisure Activities
4.5	Education of Children Looked After and Virtual School
4.5.1	Supporting the Education and Promoting the Achievement of Children with a Social Worker, Looked After and Previously Looked After Children	Updated
4.5.2	Virtual School - Model Children Looked After Policy for Schools
4.5.3	Virtual School - Promoting the Education of Children Looked After in Early Years
4.5.4	Virtual School - Personal Education Planning - Process and Responsibilities
4.5.5	Virtual School - Measuring Attainment and Progress EHWB Attendance and Exclusions
4.5.6	Virtual School - Service Standards
4.5.7	Virtual School - Pupil Premium Policy for Children Looked After
4.5.8	Virtual School - Bullying Policy
4.6	Health and Wellbeing
4.6.1	Health Care Assessments and Plans
4.6.2	Personal Care and Relationships
4.6.3	Positive Relationships and Behaviour Management
4.6.4	Restrictive Physical Intervention and Restraint
4.6.5	NICE Guideline: Looked After Children and Young People
4.7	Change of Name and Marriage
4.7.1	Change of Name of a Looked After Child
4.7.2	Marriage/Civil Partnership of a Looked After Child
4.8	Leaving Care and Transition
4.8.1	Leaving Care and Transition
4.8.2	Staying Put	Updated
4.8.3	Financial Arrangements for Care Leavers
	See also: Responsibilities of the Local Authority to Former Looked After Children and Young People in Custody
4.9	Children Involved in the Youth Justice System
	Children Involved in the Youth Justice System Additional National Guidance	Updated
4.9.1	Looked After Children and Young People in Contact with Youth Justice Services
4.9.2	Responsibilities of the Local Authority to Former Looked After Children and Young People in Custody
	See also: Remands to Local Authority Accommodation or to Youth Detention Accommodation

5. Slough Children First Independent Fostering Agency Procedures

	See also: Slough Children First Foster Carers Handbook and Slough Children First Fostering Website
5.1	Fostering Panel
5.2	Persons Disqualified from Fostering
5.3	Assessment and Approvals of Foster Carers	Updated
5.4	Exemptions and Extensions/Variations to Foster Carer Approval
5.5	Supervision and Support of Foster Carers
5.6	Review and Termination of Approval of Foster Carers
5.7	Managing Concerns, Complaints and Allegations against Foster Carers
5.8	Fostering Statement of Purpose
5.9	Connected Persons Team Statement
	See also: Early Permanence: Fostering for Adoption, Concurrent Planning and Temporary Approval as Foster Carers of Approved Prospective Adopters

6. Slough Children First Voluntary Adoption Agency Procedures

	See also: Slough Children First Adoption Website and Coram Ambitious for Adoption
6.1	Assessment and Approvals of Prospective Adopters
6.2	Adoption Panel
6.3	Placement for Adoption
6.4	Adoption Support
6.5	Monitoring and Supervision of Adoptive Placements
6.6	Adoption Reviews
6.7	Disruption of Adoptive Placements
6.8	Allegations Against Prospective Adopters and in Relation to Children Placed for Adoption or Already Adopted
6.9	Inter Country Adoption
6.10	Non Agency Adoption
6.11	Adoption Case Records
6.12	Access to Birth Records and Adoption Case Records
6.13	Intermediary Services
6.14	Life Story Books Guidance
6.15	Later Life Letters
6.16	Early Permanence: Fostering for Adoption, Concurrent Planning and Temporary Approval as Foster Carers of Approved Prospective Adopters
6.17	Adoption Statement of Purpose

7. Contacts, List of Agency Decision Makers and Appendices

7.1	Local Contacts
7.2	Scheme of Delegation
7.3	Working Together to Safeguard Children
7.4	Ofsted Inspection Framework
7.5	Amendments