If there are no plans made and the parent is unable to care for the child or dies, Social Services will assume legal responsibility for the children. Social Services will prioritise seeking family, relatives or close friends to care for the children.

Seeking family members to provide care may be contrary to the unwritten wish of the deceased parent. The carer may not be who the deceased parent would have chosen, however, these may be options that the Social Services feel most appropriate.

In the event of no–one being suitable or available from within the family network, Social Service will locate a long term/permanent carer for the child or children. Social Services should try to keep siblings together and find a carer who reflects the cultural, linguistic, religious and racial background of the children. Often the process of finding a suitable long term/permanent carer is lengthy, and in the interim the children could live with several short-term carers.