London Borough of Southwark
3 Contributions by London Borough of Southwark Experts
PRACTICE NOTES
Practice Note
This Practice Note sets out a high-level summary of the principal legislation and processes for placing looked after children with a connected person acting as a foster carer. It explains: who qualifies as a connected person; the steps for arranging a placement with a connected person; the assessment route for approving a connected person as a foster carer, including interim approval; the approach to reviewing any approval; and frequent mistakes when carrying out assessments. Please note, the material here reflects the current position in England. In Wales, this field is governed by the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 and associated statutory instruments. For more detail on children’s social care in Wales, consult the following Practice Notes: Local authority powers and duties to provide accommodation for children in Wales, Local authority duties to looked after children in Wales and Local
Local Government
PRACTICE NOTES
Note
This Practice Note addresses the law currently applying in England. In Wales, the position is governed by the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 together with the relevant statutory instruments. For Welsh guidance, see the following Practice Notes:
Local authority powers and duties to provide accommodation for children in Wales
Local authority duties to looked after children in Wales
Local authority duties to children in Wales—child protection
NB: this Practice Note also cites earlier legislation and statutory guidance, as certain linked materials give useful background and include templates that continue to be used during pre-proceedings. The Public Law Outline (PLO) originated in 2008 as part of reforms to care proceedings. It was subsequently updated by the PLO 2014 and the Children and Families Act 2014, which introduced a 26-week limit for completing care and supervision
Local Government
PRACTICE NOTES
This Practice Note sets out the statutory duties to safeguard children.
It explains local authorities’ (LAs) obligations towards children in their locality and area, the specific arrangements for joint working between relevant safeguarding partners, statutory reviews of child safeguarding practice, and processes for reviewing child deaths. The government guidance document ‘Working together to safeguard children: A guide to interagency working to safeguard and promote the welfare of children (2023)’ (as updated periodically) describes safeguarding children and promoting their welfare as:
offering help and support to address children’s needs as soon as difficulties first become apparent
shielding children from maltreatment, whether at home or elsewhere, including in online contexts and settings
preventing impairment to children’s mental and physical health or development
making sure children are brought up in conditions that are consistent with safe, effective care
supporting children to live with their birth parents, or otherwise within their wider family
Local Government
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