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Guidance

Coronavirus (COVID-19): guidance for children's social care services

Advice about coronavirus (COVID-19) for local authorities and their partners to help support and protect vulnerable children.

Updates to this page

From:
Department for Education
Published:
3 April 2020
Last updated:
25 February 2022
Show all updates

  1. We’ve updated the guidance to reflect new public health guidance on tracing close contacts, isolation and when someone has symptoms or a positive test.

  2. Updated to reflect the end of the asymptomatic testing programme. Reference made to UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) guidance on contact tracing and isolation which comes into effect from Thursday 24 February 2022.

  3. Updated to refer to the UKHSA guidance on what to do if you have a positive COVID-19 test.

  4. Updated ‘COVID-19: guidance for children's social care services’ to reflect the removal of Plan B restrictions, including updates to temporary regulations, visits and unaccompanied asylum-seeking children.

  5. Updated guidance in line with the UKHSA announcement about confirmatory PCR tests.

  6. Updated to reflect that daily testing is now recommended for contacts of COVID-19.

  7. Following the Prime Minister's announcement on 8 December 2021, we have the updated guidance to reflect the introduction of ‘Plan B’ for England prioritising measures which can help control transmission of COVID-19, while seeking to minimise economic and social impacts – in line with the government’s formal COVID-19 Response: Autumn and Winter Plan 2021.

  8. Updated ‘COVID-19: guidance for children's social care services’ to reflect that from 1 October, the flexibilities in the Adoption and Children (Coronavirus)(Amendment) Regulations 2020 will no longer be available. Removed ‘Amendments from 31 March 2021 to existing regulations’.

  9. ‘COVID-19: guidance for children's social care services’ updated to reflect changes to tracing close contacts and isolation, and testing for children’s home staff and foster carers.

  10. Updated ‘COVID-19: guidance for children's social care services’ to reflect the changes to self-isolation from 16 August in the ‘Tracing close contacts and isolation’ and ‘Testing for children’s home staff and foster carers’ sections.

  11. Updated information on exceptional exemptions from self-isolation for critical staff and added a link to the relevant guidance.

  12. This guidance has been updated to confirm the position on tracing close contacts from Step 4, to reinstate a section on residential provision that was removed from the previous version (there are no policy changes) and to update the name only of 'Amendments from 24 September 2020 to existing regulations' to 'Amendments from 31 March 2021 to existing regulations'. We have also republished in HTML format and have removed advice that no longer applies.

  13. Updated guidance with additions to Overview and risk assessment, Independent living and Testing for care staff and foster carers, and amendments to Principles, Legislation and regulations, Visitor testing, Support for children, Virtual visits, Educational settings, Out of school settings, Multi-agency, Fostering, Adoption, Court orders and other content.

  14. Converted 'Coronavirus (COVID-19): guidance for children's social care services' from pdf to HTML. The guidance has not changed since it was last updated on 12 May 2021.

  15. Updated with guidance for supporting children’s care homes in the management of visitor testing, safeguarding in out of school settings and youth clubs, and keeping residential settings safe from coronavirus (COVID-19).

  16. Updated 'Coronavirus (COVID-19): guidance for children's social care services'.

  17. Updated with latest advice on shielding for clinically extremely vulnerable (CEV) children.

  18. Update to guidance on asymptomatic testing expansion for foster carers and staff of open residential children’s homes.

  19. We have updated this guidance to reflect the extension to existing regulatory flexibilities up to 30 September 2021. We have also updated information on Ofsted inspections and fees.

  20. Updated the 'Coronavirus (COVID-19): guidance for children's social care services' with information about pupils attending school from 8 March.

  21. Updated sections on 'Educational settings' and 'Alternative provision (AP) schools and providers' within the main guidance document.

  22. Updated to reflect national restrictions guidance, including school attendance and provision, risk assessments, alternative provision, respite care and Ofsted inspections.

  23. Updated the ‘Educational settings’ and ‘Alternative provision (AP) schools and providers’ sections in 'Coronavirus (COVID-19): guidance for children's social care services' to reflect changes to the contingency framework and mass testing.

  24. Updated the Educational settings section to reflect Tier 4 guidance.

  25. Change to the isolation period from 14 days to 10 days from the day after the individual tested positive.

  26. Updated sections on support for foster families, access to respite care, short break services, restrictions on visitors in residential settings and mental health of looked-after children and care leavers. This is to reflect the new local restriction tiers which will come into force on 2 December 2020.

  27. Indicated which sections of the guidance are affected by the new national restrictions (5 November to 2 December 2020).

  28. Added a link to the guidance on national restrictions from 5 November.

  29. Updated 'Vulnerable children attendance at educational settings' section of 'Coronavirus (COVID-19): guidance for children's social care services'.

  30. Updated to reflect that the Adoption and Children (Coronavirus) (Amendment) Regulations 2020 have expired, the Adoption and Children (Coronavirus) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2020 and the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (No. 2) (England) (Amendment) (No. 4) Regulations 2020 - the rule of 6.

  31. Updated to include new provisional guidance on the Adoption and Children (Coronavirus) (Amendment) (No 2) Regulations 2020, which come into force on 25 September 2020. The update to existing guidance reflects the latest changes on social distancing and shielding and that schools, colleges and nurseries will fully reopen in the autumn term.

  32. Updated the section ‘How is the Get Help with Technology initiative helping children’s social care during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic?’ of ‘Coronavirus (COVID-19): guidance for children's social care services’.

  33. Updated the amendments to regulations section of the guidance for children's social care services.

  34. We have updated this guidance to clarify that all primary and most secondary legislation remains unchanged and that we have made temporary and time-limited amendments to secondary legislation. We have added content on missing children, testing, technology initiatives and social care services for disabled children and young people and their families. We have also revised the sections on court, fostering and adoption to provide further information.

  35. Guidance updated to reflect the temporary changes made in the Adoption and Children (Coronavirus) (Amendment) Regulations 2020.

  36. First published.

This publication was withdrawn on

Guidance on emergency planning and response for education, childcare, and children’s social care settings is available.

Applies to England

Documents

COVID-19: guidance for children's social care services

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Details

This guidance is for:

  • local authorities
  • those who have corporate parenting responsibilities
  • local safeguarding partnerships
  • social workers
  • residential care providers and staff

It should be read alongside:

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