Guidance

Links to legislation, regulations and statutory guidance

Updated 11 April 2025

Applies to England

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Acts of Parliament

Regulations

This list of regulations relates to children鈥檚 social care generally. Separate sections cover regulations in that are specific to adoption and fostering separately.

The Children Act 1989 Guidance and Regulations Volume 1: Court Orders

The Children Act 1989 Guidance and Regulations Volume 2: Care Planning, Placement and Case Review (2010)

The Children Act 1989 Guidance and Regulations Volume 3: Planning Transition to Adulthood for Care Leavers

Statutory guidance

Separate sections below cover statutory guidance in relation to adoption and fostering.

Providing advocacy services for children and young people (2004)

Children鈥檚 social care: getting the best from complaints (2006)

Designated teacher for looked-after children (2009)

Children Act 1989 Guidance and Regulations: Local authority responsibilities towards former children in care in custody (2010)

IRO handbook: Statutory guidance for independent reviewing officers (IROs) and local authorities on their functions in relation to case management and review for children in care (2010)

Provision of accommodation for 16 and 17 year old young people who may be homeless and/or require accommodation (2010)

Short breaks: statutory guidance on how to safeguard and promote the welfare of disabled children using short breaks (2010)

Sufficiency: Statutory guidance on securing sufficient accommodation for children in care (2010)

Junior individual saving accounts for looked-after children: Statutory guidance for local authorities (2012)

Special guardianship guidance and regulations (2012)

Children missing education: statutory guidance for local authorities, Department for Education, 2013

Placement of looked-after children in EU member states (2013)

Statutory guidance on the roles and responsibilities of the Director of Children鈥檚 Services and the Lead Member for Children鈥檚 Services (2013)

Promoting the education of looked-after children and previously looked-after children: statutory guidance for local authorities (2014)

Statutory guidance on children who run away and go missing from home or care (2014)

Guide to the Children鈥檚 Homes Regulations, including the quality standards (2015)

Keeping children safe in education (2015)

Statutory guidance: Promoting the health and well-being of looked-after children (2015)

Working together to safeguard children: a guide to inter-agency working to safeguard and promote the welfare of children (2015)

Care of unaccompanied migrant children and child victims of modern slavery (2017)

Guidance for local authorities on the local offer for care leavers (2018)

Additional guidance

Child sexual exploitation: definition and guide for practitioners

Improving the outcomes for Gypsy, Roma and Traveller pupils: final report (2010)

Maltreated children in the looked-after system: a comparison of outcomes for those who go home and those who do not (2010)

What works re-engaging young people who are not in education, employment or training (NEET)? Summary of evidence from the activity agreement pilots and the entry to learning pilots (2010)

Missing children and adults strategy (2011)

Prospectus: delivering intensive interventions for looked-after children and those on the edge of care or custody and their families (2011)

Safeguarding children who may have been trafficked: practice guidance (2011)

Tackling child sexual exploitation: action plan (2011)

A framework of outcomes for young people (2012)

Care leavers in England data pack (2012)

Children in care and adoption performance tables 2012 to 2014 (2012)

Care leaver strategy (2013)

Staying put: arrangements for care leavers aged 18 and above to stay on with their former foster carers (2013)

2010 to 2015 government policy: children鈥檚 social workers (2015) Information sharing advice for safeguarding practitioners (2015)

Social mobility indicators (includes attainment gap at ages 11, 16 and 19) (2015)

What to do if you鈥檙e worried a child is being abused (2015)

What to do if you鈥檙e worried a child is being abused: advice for practitioners (2015)

Adoption

Adoption: National Minimum Standards (2011)

Right on time: exploring delays in adoption (2012)

Statutory guidance on adoption (2013)

Regionalising adoption (2015)

Fostering

Children Act 1989: private fostering

Family and Friends Care: Statutory Guidance for Local Authorities (2011)

Fostering services: national minimum standards (2011)

The Children Act 1989 guidance and regulations volume 4: fostering services (2011)

The demographic characteristics of foster carers in the UK: motivations, barriers and messages for recruitment and retention (2012)

Training, support and development standards for foster care: guidance for managers, supervising social workers (2012)

Assessment and approval of foster carers: amended guidance (2013)

Local safeguarding arrangements

Working Together: transitional guidance (Statutory guidance for Local Safeguarding Children Boards, local authorities, safeguarding partners, child death review partners, and the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel) (2015)

Useful websites

Disclosure and Barring Service

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