What to do if…
a caregiver has died and a child or dependent adult needs immediate care

What to do now

1. Confirm where each dependant is.
   Find out: their name, age or date of birth if known, current location, who is with them, whether they are safe, and whether they need food, warmth, medication, mobility help, or supervision.

2. If immediate safety is unclear, treat it as urgent.
   Call 999 if a child or adult dependant may be alone, locked out, unsafe, seriously unwell, at risk from another person, unable to care for themselves, or missing essential medication.

3. Use the dependant’s address or postcode to find the right local council.
   Ask for children’s social care or the child safeguarding duty team for a child or young person. Ask for adult social care or the adult safeguarding duty team for an adult who may need care and support.

4. If it is evening, overnight, a weekend, or a bank holiday, ask for the out-of-hours Emergency Duty Team.
   Say plainly: “A parent or carer has died. There are dependants who need safe care arrangements today or tonight.”

5. Give the council the immediate facts.
   Tell them who died, who depends on that person, where the dependant is, who is with them now, what care is due soon, and any urgent risks such as medication, wandering, falls, seizures, distress, pets at the home, or no keys.

6. Ask what the safe plan is for today or tonight.
   Ask who will call back, when, what you should do until then, and what to do if the situation changes before they respond.

7. Warn any place where a handover is due.
   If there is a school pickup, nursery pickup, hospital discharge, care visit, transport booking, or day-centre return, contact that place now. Tell them the usual parent or carer has died and ask what their safeguarding or authorised-collection process is.

8. Write one short care-facts note.
   Include full names, dates of birth if known, address, current location, allergies, medication, GP or care agency if known, school or care setting, key contacts, who has keys, pets needing care, and any risks that could matter in the next few hours.

9. If you are temporarily staying with or collecting the dependant, keep it simple.
   Use one safe place, one lead adult, clear phone contact, normal food and sleep where possible, and the existing medication routine if it is known. If the arrangement is beyond what you can safely manage, tell the council duty team clearly.