Are there any duties or rules that apply when deciding where a child who is looked after under a voluntary arrangement should live?

Yes. Section 22C of the Children Act 1989 places a legal duty on children’s services to place a child who is looked after in the care system with the people in a certain priority order. This duty applies then to children in care under court orders. And to children who are looked after in the care system under voluntary arrangements.

It means children’s services should:

1. See if a child can be safely cared for by their parent(s). If not
2. See if a child be safely cared for by someone else who holds parental responsibility for them
3. Next look at anyone who was caring for the child under a child arrangements order just before they came into the care system
4. They should next aim to place the child in the most appropriate placement looking first at wider family, friends and other people connected with the child who are already approved by children’s services as foster carers
5. Only where this is not possible, should children’s services go on to arrange for a child to live in unrelated care. This could be foster care, or if not possible then in residential care (a children’s home).

This duty also means that plans for where a child live/be cared for should always be kept under review. So, even if a child in a voluntary arrangement is being cared for by unrelated carers, children’s services should still keep their plan under review. If a parent’s situation changes. Or there may now be another family member who could care the child this should be explored.

Brothers and sisters (siblings)

Children’s services also have a legal duty to make sure siblings who are looked after in the care system can live together where reasonably practicable (possible). This duty applies to all looked after children. It can be found in section 22C(8)(c) of the Children Act 1989.