Collection

Ofsted social care research

Ofsted research about children's social care.

• From: Ofsted
• Published: 15 May 2015
• Last updated: 2 July 2026
  Show all updates

  1. 2 July 2026

     Added 'Understanding children’s social care sufficiency in England' report.

  2. 12 March 2026

     Added 'How schools and colleges support the academic and personal progress of children in care' research report.

  3. 25 February 2025

     Added 'Good decisions: supporting children aged 16 and 17 who need help when they are homeless' report.

  4. 19 January 2022

     Added the 'Ready or not: care leavers views of preparing to leave care' report.

  5. 28 October 2021

     Added new research 'How groups of children's homes work'.

  6. 1 March 2019

     Added 'Implementation review of the social care common inspection framework' to collection.

  7. 18 October 2017

     Published today: 'Local area SEND inspections: one year on'.

  8. 12 February 2016

     Added a link to survey inviting feedback on publications.

  9. 15 May 2015

     First published.

Ofsted carries out research alongside its main inspection programme of providers.

The research programme serves a range of purposes. Depending on the subject chosen, our research provides an opportunity to focus on specific issues in greater detail than is possible during an institutional inspection.

Alternatively, it may explore an aspect that falls outside the current inspection framework, or may sample provision in areas of our remit that we do not currently inspect.

Research

• Understanding children’s social care sufficiency in England
  • 2 July 2026
  • Research and analysis
• How schools and colleges support the academic and personal progress of children in care
  • 12 March 2026
  • Research and analysis
• Good decisions: supporting children aged 16 and 17 who need help when they are homeless
  • 17 September 2025
  • Research and analysis
• How local authorities plan for sufficiency: children in care and care leavers
  • 18 November 2022
  • Research and analysis
• Why do children go into children’s homes?
  • 13 April 2022
  • Research and analysis
• ‘Ready or not’: care leavers’ views of preparing to leave care
  • 19 January 2022
  • Research and analysis
• Children’s homes providing short breaks
  • 10 August 2021
  • Research and analysis
• How groups of children's homes work
  • 28 October 2021
  • Research and analysis
• The education of children living in children's homes
  • 17 February 2021
  • Research and analysis
• ‘Feeling heard’: partner agencies working together to make a difference for children with mental ill health
  • 9 December 2020
  • Research and analysis
• Social care common inspection framework: implementation review
  • 1 March 2019
  • Research and analysis
• Joint inspections of the response to child sexual abuse in the family environment
  • 8 May 2019
  • Guidance
• Joint inspections of the response to children experiencing neglect
  • 19 September 2018
  • Guidance
• Growing up neglected: a multi-agency response to older children
  • 6 July 2018
  • Research and analysis
• Children in need and child protection: quality of early help and social work assessments
  • 4 August 2015
  • Research and analysis
• Sexual exploitation of children: Ofsted thematic report
  • 17 March 2015
  • Research and analysis
• Early help services: how well are they meeting children's needs?
  • 10 March 2015
  • Research and analysis
• Effective leadership of children’s services: joining the dots
  • 10 March 2015
  • Research and analysis
• Looked after children living away from their home area: from a distance
  • 8 April 2014
  • Research and analysis
• Professional responses to neglect: in the child’s time
  • 26 March 2014
  • Research and analysis
• Private fostering: better understanding of local authority arrangements
  • 24 January 2014
  • Research and analysis
• Independent reviewing officers: taking up the challenge?
  • 7 June 2013
  • Research and analysis
• Joint working between adult and children’s services: what about the children?
  • 25 March 2013
  • Research and analysis
• Missing children
  • 8 February 2013
  • Research and analysis
• Services for deaf children: communication is the key
  • 17 October 2012
  • Research and analysis
• The impact of virtual schools on the education of looked after children
  • 11 October 2012
  • Research and analysis
• Protecting disabled children: thematic inspection
  • 22 August 2012
  • Research and analysis
• Exploring delays in adoption: right on time
  • 2 April 2012
  • Research and analysis
• Support for social workers
  • 1 February 2012
  • Research and analysis
• How services prevent young people entering care: edging away from care
  • 26 October 2011
  • Research and analysis
• Learning lessons from serious case reviews
  • 26 October 2011
  • Research and analysis
• Good practice by local safeguarding children boards
  • 15 September 2011
  • Research and analysis
• Commissioning young people’s services: evaluation of approaches
  • 9 August 2011
  • Research and analysis
• Listening to children in serious case reviews
  • 13 April 2011
  • Research and analysis
• Outstanding children’s homes
  • 2 March 2011
  • Research and analysis