Factsheet Notification for the Death of a Care Leaver
From January 2024, local authorities in England are required to notify the Secretary of State for Education and Ofsted about the death of any care leaver up to the age of 25.
This process aims to gather data to inform policies and prevent future deaths.
Notifications should follow the established Child Safeguarding Incident Notification system, with distinctions based on whether the individual was under or over 18. While these notifications do not trigger safeguarding practice reviews for care leavers, they ensure learning from incidents is incorporated into broader systems to improve outcomes.
Care leavers, defined as those under 25 who were previously looked after, remain eligible for support up to their 25th birthday.