Contents

1. All Children

1.1	Policy Values and Principles
1.1.1	Children in Care and Care Leavers Strategy
1.1.2	Kent's Pledge to Children in Care
1.1.3	Kent Specialist Children's Services Participation Strategy
1.1.4	Practice Standards
1.1.5	Confidentiality Policy
1.1.6	Consultation Policy
1.1.7	Case Progression Policy
1.1.8	Operational Performance Management Framework
1.1.9	Performance Management Framework
1.1.10	Quality Assurance Framework (Forms/Practice Guidance)
1.1.11	Kinship Care	Updated
1.1.12	Equality and Diversity
1.2	Young Carers
1.2.1	Young Carers

2. Early Help

	See also: Forms/Practice Guidance
2.1	CAF and Thresholds for Children's Social Care Services
2.1.1	Kent Early Help Toolkit
2.1.2	Kent Support Levels Guidance
2.1.3	Capacity and Consent
2.2	Children's Social Care - Assessment and Planning
	For guidance in relation to Child Protection, please see: Kent and Medway Safeguarding Children Procedures.
2.2.1	Initial Contacts and Referrals
2.2.2	Assessments
2.2.3	Child Protection Enquiries
2.2.4	Working with Children and Families and with Foreign Authorities, in cases with an international or foreign element - Practice Guidance
2.3	Court Proceedings
2.3.1	Guide on Finding a Solicitor
2.3.2	Application for Emergency Protection Orders
2.3.3	Care and Supervision Proceedings and the Public Law Outline	Updated
2.3.4	Legal Planning Meetings
2.3.5	Disclosure of Information between Family and Criminal Agencies and Jurisdictions: 2024 Protocol - The Crown Prosecution Service - The Disclosure of Information between Family and Criminal Agencies and Jurisdictions: 2024 Protocol came into effect on 1 March 2024. It replaced the 2013 Protocol and Good Practice Model: disclosure of information in cases of alleged child abuse and care directions hearings.
2.3.6	Disclosure of Information between Family and Criminal Agencies and Jurisdictions: 2024 Protocol
	See also: Forms/Practice Guidance
2.4	Miscellaneous
2.4.1	Death or Serious Injury to a Child (In Care, Child in Need or Care Leaver Up to and Including the Age of 24)
2.4.2	Serious Incident Protocol
2.4.3	Alerts and Need to Know Protocol
2.4.4	Visits to Children in Long-Term Residential Care
2.4.5	Child Trust Funds and Individual Savings Accounts for Children in Care (including Children with Their Own Funds)
2.4.6	Dangerous Weapons Policy
2.4.7	Cross-border Child Protection Cases: the 1996 Hague Convention
	See also: Forms/Practice Guidance
2.4.8	Use of Social Media Sites by Social Care and Safeguarding Staff
2.5	Complaints and Whistleblowing
2.5.1	Complaints and Representations
2.5.2	Guidance on Unreasonably Persistent and Vexatious Complainants
2.5.3	Whistleblowing
2.5.4	Representations Policy

3. Case Management and Recording

3.1	Recording Policy and Guidelines
3.2	Case Records for Children in Care (Including Retention)
3.3	Access to Records
3.4	Electronic Recording of Meetings
3.5	Storage of Data on Mobile Devices

4. Children in Particular Circumstances (including Children in Need)

4.1	Children in Particular Circumstances
4.1.1	Child in Need Plans and Meetings Policy
4.1.2	Financial Assistance Section 17 (s17) Children Act 1989
4.1.3	Private Fostering
4.1.4	Prevention of Homelessness and Provision of Accommodation for 16 and 17 year olds who may be Homeless and/or require Accommodation; and Duty to Refer
4.1.5	Joint Working Protocol for Young People
4.1.6	16-17 Housing Booklet
4.1.7	Family Networks and Family Group Decision Making
4.1.8	Placing and Visiting Children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities or Health Conditions in Long-Term Residential Settings	Updated
4.1.9	Aftercare Under Section 117 of the Mental Heath Act 1983	New
	See also: Forms/Practice Guidance
4.2	Disabled Children
4.2.1	Disabled Children's Services
4.2.2	Children and Young People Aged 0-25 with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities	Updated
4.2.3	Disabled Children and Young People Direct Payments	Updated
4.2.4	Short Breaks
4.2.5	Short Breaks Statement
4.2.6	Children and Young People’s Continuing Care National Framework
	See also: Forms/Practice Guidance
4.3	Children from Abroad
4.3.1	Unaccompanied Migrant Children and Child Victims of Trafficking and Modern Slavery	Updated
4.3.2	Families with No Recourse to Public Fund Policy and Procedure
4.3.3	Independent Family Returns Panel
4.4	Relinquished Children
4.4.1	Relinquished Babies and Children
4.5	Safeguarding
	Please see: Kent and Medway Safeguarding Children Procedures
	See also: Child Protection (Forms/Practice Guidance)
4.5.1	Safeguarding Children and Young People from Sexual Exploitation
	For guidance, please see: Kent and Medway Safeguarding Children Procedures, Missing
	and Safeguarding Children Abused through Sexual Exploitation Procedure
4.5.2	Responding to Children who are Missing
4.6	Transgender
4.6.1	Supporting Transgender Users of Our Services
4.7	Deprivation of Liberty and Mental Capacity
4.7.1	Kent Mental Capacity Act 2005 and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards Policy and Practice Guidance
4.8	Aftercare under Section 117 of the Mental Health Act 1983
4.8.1	Aftercare under Section 117 of the Mental Health Act 1983

5. Children in Care

5.1	Decision to Look After and Care Planning
	See: Kent Cares Town, a website for Children in Care and care leavers which includes advice and support.
5.1.1	Decision to Look After
5.1.2	Care Planning
5.1.3	Ceasing to Look After a Child
5.1.4	Remands to Local Authority Accommodation or to Youth Detention Accommodation
5.1.5	Local Authority's Sufficiency Duty - Accommodation for Children in Care
5.1.6	Permanence Planning Guidance
5.1.7	Permanency Planning Meetings
5.1.8	Placement Planning and Disruption Meetings (Fostering and Adoption)
5.1.9	Placements in Foster Care
5.1.10	Emergency Bed Fostering Scheme
5.1.11	Risk Assessments and Foster Carers
5.1.12	Placements in Residential Care
5.1.13	Delegation of Authority to Foster Carers and Residential Workers
5.1.14	Out of Area Placements
5.1.15	Placements with Kinship Carers	Updated
5.1.16	Placements in Secure Accommodation on Welfare Grounds
5.1.17	Placements with Parents
5.1.18	Placements Outside England and Wales
5.1.19	Notifications from Other Local Authorities
5.1.20	Guidance for Making Applications for Criminal Injuries Compensation on Behalf of Children in Care
5.1.21	Risk Assessment and Planning
5.1.22	Providing Personalised Care
5.1.23	Placements in Other Arrangements
5.1.24	Health and Safety
	See also: Promoting Wellbeing and Positive Identity for a Child or Young Person Who is Looked After: A Quick Guide for Social Workers and Social Care Practitioners (NICE)
5.2	Monitoring and Reviews
5.2.1	Social Worker Visits to Children in Care
5.2.2	Advocacy and Independent Visitors
5.2.3	Child in Care Reviews
5.2.4	Children's and Young Person's Template for Chairing Reviews
5.2.5	Appointment and Role of Independent Reviewing Officers
5.2.6	Secure Accommodation (Criteria) Reviews
	See also: Forms/Practice Guidance
5.3	Contact and Overnight Stays
5.3.1	Family Time (Contact) with Parents / Adults and Siblings
5.3.2	Social Visits (Including Overnight Stays)
	See also: Forms/Practice Guidance
5.4	Education, School Trips and Holidays
5.4.1	Passport Application for Children in Care Guidance and Protocol
5.4.2	Supporting the Education and Promoting the Achievement of Children with a Social Worker, Looked After and Previously Looked After Children
5.4.3	Corporate Parenting, Education, Training and Employment Policy
5.4.4	Leisure Activities
5.5	Health and Wellbeing
5.5.1	Guidance on Health Assessments and Health Plans
5.5.2	Guidance for Social Workers Regarding Review Health Assessments Requests for Children and Young People
5.5.3	Personal Care and Relationships
5.5.4	Restrictive Physical Intervention
	See also: Forms/Practice Guidance
5.6	Identity
5.6.1	Change of Name of a Child in Care
5.6.2	Marriage/Civil Partnership of a Child in Care
	See also: Forms/Practice Guidance
5.7	Leaving Care and Transition
5.7.1	Leaving Care and Transition
5.7.2	Care Leavers Charter
5.7.3	Financial Arrangements for Care Leavers
	See also: Forms/Practice Guidance

6. Protocols and Practice Guidance

6.1

See Local Resources

7. Fostering

7.1	Recruitment, Assessment and Approvals of Foster Carers	Updated
7.2	Allocation of Fostering Social Workers
7.3	Guidance on the Assessment of New Partners and New Adults joining the Fostering Household (changes in the fostering household/circumstances)
7.4	Persons Disqualified from Fostering
7.5	Fostering Panel
7.6	Exemptions and Changes to Foster Carers Terms of Approval
7.7	Permanent Fostering
7.8	Supervision, Support and Training of Foster Carers
7.9	Pet Policy and Guidance for Fostering Households
	See also: Dangerous Weapons Policy
7.10	Review and Termination of Approval of Foster Carers
7.11	Allegations and Complaints Against Foster Carers
7.12	Guidelines for Social Workers Following an Allegation / Complaint Against a Foster Carer or Member of the Household
7.13	Notifications of Significant Events
7.14	Training and Development of Foster Carers
	See also: Forms/Practice Guidance

8. Adoption

	See: Adoption Partnership South East Regional Adoption Agency Procedures
8.1	Court Reports
8.1.1	Court Reports

9. Special Guardianship

9.1	Special Guardianship Orders Guidance
9.2	Adoption Order, Special Guardianship Order and Child Arrangements Order Allowances

10. Practice Guidance

10.1

Pre-Birth Procedure (Kent and Medway Safeguarding Children Procedures)

11. Children Involved in the Youth Justice System

11.1	Children and Young People in Care in Contact with Youth Justice Services
11.2	Responsibilities of the Local Authority to Former Children and Young People in Care in Custody
11.3	Children Involved in the Youth Justice System: Additional National Guidance	Updated
	Please see: Forms/Practice Guidance
	See Also: Remands to Local Authority Accommodation or to Youth Detention Accommodation

12. Family Hubs

Please see: Forms/Practice Guidance

13. Appendices

13.1	Local Contacts	Updated
13.2	Accountability and Delegation
13.3	List of Agency Decision Makers, Designated Managers and Nominated Officers
13.4	Working Together to Safeguard Children
13.5	Ofsted Inspection Framework	Updated
13.6	Amendments

14. Procedures in a Nutshell

Please see: Forms/Practice Guidance, Children in Care Forms and Templates