Children's homes and other accommodation

Securing a place. Regulations and quality standards, inspections framework, children's privacy and confidentiality.

Guidance and regulation

Tell Ofsted about a serious incident in a children’s home or secure children’s home
- Detailed guide
- 26 October 2023
- Ofsted
Children’s homes regulations, including quality standards: guide
- Statutory guidance
- 6 March 2015
- Department for Education
Introduction to children's homes
- Guidance
- 6 October 2023
- Ofsted
Providing supported accommodation for children and young people
- Guidance
- 23 March 2023
- Department for Education
Children who run away or go missing from home or care
- Statutory guidance
- 24 January 2014
- Department for Education

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News and communications

Experts demand major overhaul of safeguarding system to protect children with disabilities from abuse at children’s homes
- 20 April 2023
- Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel
- Press release
Government bans unregulated accommodation for young people in care
- 23 March 2023
- Department for Education
- Press release
Urgent action to protect children with disabilities from abuse
- 26 October 2022
- Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel
- Press release
Many children placed in homes far away from their families amid national sufficiency challenge
- 8 July 2022
- Ofsted
- Press release
‘Lack of collective knowledge’ on needs of children in care
- 13 April 2022
- Ofsted
- Press release

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Research and statistics

Childrens Social Care Statistics for Northern Ireland 2022/23
- 19 October 2023
- Department of Health (Northern Ireland) and Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency
- National statistics
Safeguarding children with disabilities in residential settings
- 20 April 2023
- Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel
- Research
Childrens Social Care Statistics for Northern Ireland 2021/22
- 3 November 2022
- Department of Health (Northern Ireland) and Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency
- National statistics
Why do children go into children’s homes?
- 13 April 2022
- Ofsted
- Research
Childrens Social Care Statistics for Northern Ireland 2020/21
- 11 November 2021
- Department of Health (Northern Ireland) and Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency
- National statistics

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Policy papers and consultations

Introducing regulations for supported accommodation provision
- 23 March 2023
- Department for Education
- Consultation outcome
- Date closed 16 January 2023
Social care common inspection framework review: interim inspections of children’s homes and residential holiday schemes for disabled children
- 11 March 2022
- Ofsted
- Consultation outcome
- Date closed 24 January 2022
Introducing national standards for unregulated accommodation
- 15 December 2021
- Department for Education
- Consultation outcome
- Date closed 19 July 2021
Safeguarding children with disabilities in residential settings: government response
- 18 December 2023
- Department for Education
- Policy paper
Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse custodial institutions report: government response
- 7 May 2021
- Department for Education
- Policy paper

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Transparency and freedom of information releases

Looked after children in independent or semi-independent placements
- 23 March 2023
- Department for Education
- Transparency

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Organisations

Ofsted