Amendments

In December 2024, Section 1, Important Principles, was updated with information about the reclassification of Codeine Linctus. A new section, Section 7, Controlled Drugs, was also added including information about Cannabis-based products (CBPM) for medical purposes.

In November 2024, a link to the new Good Recording Procedure was added to the related chapters and guidance and also in Section 7, Good record keeping and communication. Minor text amendments were also made to Section 8, Staffing, supervision and training to signpost readers to newly added information about staffing shortages in another chapter.

Section 6, Domestic Abuse was updated in November 2024 to add a clearer explanation of controlling or coercive behaviour.

In November 2024, a new Section 7, Staff shortages was added to this chapter.

In November 2024, a new Section 7, Communicating with families was added. A link to the new Good Recording Procedure was also added to the related chapters and guidance.

In November 2024, information about infection prevention and control inspection was added to this chapter. Previously, this information sat inside the chapter 'Infection Prevention and Control Inspections' – this chapter was deleted as the inspection of infection prevention and control measures was incorporated into the single assessment framework.

In November 2024, a link to the new Good Recording Procedure was added to the related chapters and guidance and also in Section 8, Recording consent.

In November 2024, a link to the new Good Recording Procedure was added to the related chapters and guidance and also in Section 4, Recording and reporting findings.

In November 2024, a link to the new Good Recording Procedure was added to the related chapters and guidance and also in Section 5, Recording information sharing.

In November 2025, the link to the CQC assessment webpages was updated. At the same time, the chapter relating to the old inspection framework was deleted.

In November 2024, a link to the new Good Recording Procedure was added to the related chapters and guidance and also in Section 5, Recording advice or instructions given by partners.

In November 2024, this new chapter was added into the Core Values and Principles section of the contents list.

In September 2024, information about hiring beach wheelchairs was added into Section 6, Further information about wheelchairs and scooters.

In September 2024, minor text amendments were made to Section 5, Raising a concern to the local authority. Section 7, Additional guidance for managers was also updated to clarify that all allegations against a member of staff must be reported.

In September 2024, text amendments were made to clarify the rules around sharing information during a safeguarding discussion or meeting.

In September 2024, the Skills for Care Common Core Principles and Competencies was added to Section 3, End of life care. Information about The Victoria and Stuart Project end of life care planning toolkit was also added to section 10, Additional guidance for learning disabilities.

Section 2, Standard authorisation – new requests was updated in August 2024 to clarify that the managing authority should monitor the progress of the application and contact the supervisory body for a progress update if they are concerned about any delays in the process. 

Section 4, Failure to act was updated in August 2024 to clarify that the registered person should always monitor the progress of any deprivation of liberty referral made.

In August 2024, information about responding to changes in how care or treatment is provided was added to Section 1, When to request a review. 

In August 2024, information about when to seek professional support with a mental capacity assessment was added to Section 7, Mental capacity assessments.

Section 9, Training and Development was updated in July 2024 to include the LGBTQ+ learning framework from Skills for Care.

Section 3, Providing Support was updated in July 2024 to include a link to the Everyday Healthcare chapter for guidance about delegated healthcare activities.

Section 2, Opportunities to treat people with dignity and respect was updated in July 2024 to include a link to a resource about inclusive language.

Section 1, Introduction to culturally appropriate care was updated in July 2024 to include a link to a resource about recording ethnicity. 

Section 7, Regulation 9A. Visiting and accompanying in care homes, hospitals and hospices was updated in May 2024 to include a link to the newly published CQC guidance.

Section 1, Pressure Ulcers was revised in May 2024 to reflect the updated government guidance ‘Pressure Ulcers: how to safeguard adults’. The following sections were also reviewed and refreshed, with the addition of several government resources: Domestic abuse, Mate crime and cuckooing, County lines, Radicalisation and violent extremism, Honour based abuse and forced marriage.  

Section 4, Delegated healthcare activities was added in May 2024. In addition, information about women's health needs was added to Section 1, Everyday Healthcare and Information about Regulation 9A: Visiting and accompanying in care homes, hospitals and hospices was added to Section 2, Encouraging and supporting people.

Section 6, Notifying Others was updated in May 2024 to include information about the requirement that local authorities should notify Ofsted of the death of any care leaver under the age of 25, where it is aware of their care leaver status.

In May 2024, this new chapter was added to the section ‘Health and Safety of Everyone’.

In May 2024, information about delegated healthcare activities was moved to the chapter Everyday Healthcare.

In May 2024, information about Regulation 9A: Visiting and accompanying in care homes, hospitals and hospices was added to Section 5, Relationship support.

In May 2024, a video in Section 8, Staffing, supervision and training was removed as it is no longer available.

In May 2024, a resource to support people to understand menstruation was added to Section 3.

In May 2024, information about Regulation 9A: Visiting and accompanying in care homes, hospitals and hospices was added to Section 5, Unknown visitors.

In May 2024, information about Regulation 9A: Visiting and accompanying in care homes, hospitals and hospices was added to Section 3, Day-to-day choice and control.

In April 2024, a new section was added: ‘Regulation 9A. Visiting and accompanying in care homes, hospitals and hospices’.

In April 2024, this chapter was reviewed and refreshed. This included adding a link to the latest online CQC DoLS notification forms in Section 5, CQC Notifications. 

In April 2024, this chapter was reviewed and refreshed. This included adding a link to the latest online CQC DoLS notification forms in Section 2.1, CQC Notifications.

In April 2024, this chapter was reviewed and refreshed.

In April 2024, this chapter was reviewed and refreshed.

In April 2024, updated CQC notification links were added to Section 7, Additional Guidance for Managers.

In March 2024, this new chapter was added to the Inspections and Assessment section of the contents list.

In March 2024, a link to Alcohol management in care homes: A good practice guide for care staff was added to section 2 ‘Assessing Risks’ and the Related Chapters and Guidance.

In March 2024, a link to the GOV.UK guidance ‘Infection prevention and control in adult social care: acute respiratory infection’ was added to the ‘Related Chapters and Guidance’. This guidance contains measures to reduce the spread of viral acute infections, including COVID-19 in adult social care settings.

In March 2024, information was added about the free Data Security and Protection eLearning provided by the Digital Care Hub.

Section 7.4, If the Person has Died was updated in February 2024 to clarify that a safeguarding concern should still be raised if the death may have been as a result of abuse or neglect.

In February 2024, the related chapters and guidance section was updated to include a link to the new Service Assessment (Single Assessment Framework) chapter.

In February 2024, this new chapter was added to the section Inspections and Assessment.

In December 2023, text amendments were made to Section 2, Identifying a deprivation of liberty to reflect feedback received following a full tri.x legal review of our Local Authority Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards Procedure.

In December 2023, this chapter was updated to include additional guidance from Skills for Care and information about the FREDA and EHRC (European Human Rights Commission) 9 principles for social care. In Section 7, Workplace Discrimination, the old EHRC link was replaced with a Citizens Advice link.

Section 1, Everyday healthcare: NHS recommendations and guidance was updated in September 2023 to include information about supporting someone with a learning disability to manage constipation. A link to the NHS England ‘Constipation resources for carers’ was also added to the ‘Related Chapters and Guidance’.

Section 3, Infection prevention and control measures was updated in September 2023 to include additional guidance for linen processing. A link to the Department of Health and Social Care information sheet on this topic was also added to the ‘Related Chapters and Guidance’.

In July 2023, information about the Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability and Autism was added to Section 5, Autism and Section 9, Profound and Multiple Learning Disabilities. At the same time, a link to the Skills for Care page relating to this training was added to the Learning, Development and Supervision section of the main contents list.

In July 2023, a new sub section was added to Section 2, Difficulties managing money. This included information about the Final Demand Guide. Updated in May 2023, the Final Demand Guide provides basic advice for health and social care workers, describing how they can practically help people with debt and mental health problems.

In June 2023, a new Section 7, The Future of the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards were added. At the same time, the chapter The Liberty Protection Safeguards Procedure was deleted.

Section 3, Young people aged 16 or 17 in any setting was updated in June 2023 to include a reference to the National Deprivation of Liberty Court.

Section 2, Identifying a Deprivation of Liberty was updated in June 2023 to provide greater clarity on state imputability.

In June 2023, a new Section 7, Challenges to DoLS Arrangements was added.

In April 2023, this chapter was updated. Links to individual CQC guidance documents were deleted and replaced with a link to the relevant CQC webpage. In Section 1, further guidance about the use of medication as restraint was also added.

In April 2023, a link to the Skills for Care ‘Supporting personal relationships’ guide was added to the Related Chapters and Guidance section. Section 9, ‘Training and Development’ was also added, which includes information about toolkits from Skills for Care and Supported Loving. 

New Skills for Care Culturally Appropriate Care guidance was added to the Related Chapters and Guidance section in March 2023.

In March 2023, the following links were added to the Related Chapters and Guidance - ‘Universal Principles for Advance Care Planning’ ‘Delivering high quality end of life care for people who have a learning disability’ and ‘My Future Wishes: Advance Care Planning for people with dementia in all care settings’.