Regulations

Links to legislation, regulations and statutory guidance

Acts of Parliament

• Children Act 1989
• Care Standards Act 2000
• Children (Leaving Care) Act 2000
• Adoption and Children Act 2002
• Children Act 2004
• Education Act 2002
• Education and Inspections Act 2006
• Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006
• Children and Young Persons Act 2008
• Equality Act 2010
• Human Rights Act 1998
• Children and Families Act 2014
• Children and Social Work Act 2017
• Data Protection Act 2018
• Domestic Abuse Act 2021

Regulations

This list of regulations relates to children’s 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
• The Children Act 1989 Guidance and Regulations Volume 4; Children Act 1989: fostering services
• The Children Act 1989 Guidance and Regulations Volume 5; Children’s homes regulations, including quality standards: guide
• The Care Planning, Placement and Case Review (England) Regulations 2010
• The Children Act 2004 (Joint Area Reviews) Regulations 2015
• Visits to Former Children in Care in Detention (England) Regulations 2010
• The Arrangements for Placement of Children by Voluntary Organisations and Others (England) Regulations 2011
• Visits to Children in Long-Term Residential Care Regulations 2011
• The Children and Young Persons Act 2008 (Relevant Care Functions) (England) Regulations 2014
• The Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015
• The Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills (Fees and Frequency of Inspections) (Children’s Homes etc.) Regulations 2007 (as amended)
• The Social Workers Regulations 2018

Additional guidance

• Guide to the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) – Information Commissioner’s Office
• United Nations convention on the Rights of the Child

Adoption

• Local Authority Social Services Act 1970
• The Local Authority Adoption Service (England) Regulations 2003
• Adoption Information and Intermediary Services (Pre-Commencement Adoptions) Regulations 2005
• Adoption Support Agencies (England) and Adoption Agencies (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2005
• Adoption Support Services Regulations 2005
• Disclosure of Adoption Information (Post-Commencement Adoptions) Regulations 2005
• Restriction on the Preparation of Adoption Reports Regulations 2005
• The Adoption Agencies Regulations 2005
• The Voluntary Adoption Agencies and the Adoption Agencies (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2003
• Independent Review of Determinations (Adoption and Fostering) Regulations 2009
• Adoption: National Minimum Standards

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 Fostering Services (England) Regulations 2011 (as amended)

Regulators Guidance

• Social care common inspection framework (SCCIF) (inc Assurance Visits and Additional Guidance)
• Local area SEND inspection: framework
• Area SEND inspection: guidance for inspectors
• Inspecting local authority children's services from 2018
• Joint inspections of arrangements and services for children in need of help and protection
• Joint inspections of local area services
• Inspecting secure training centres: framework
• Carrying out full joint inspections of youth offending work
• Youth offending services inspection
• Ofsted and CQC joint registration guidance: Children’s homes and health care
• Children's social care providers - Registering, inspections, complaints, roles and responsibilities, Ofsted safeguarding policy, complaints
• Ofsted social care research
• Social Work England
• Social Work England Standards
• The Standards for Employers of Social workers in England 2020
• Social work post-qualifying standards: knowledge and skills statements