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Ofsted fostering dataset returns: annual changes

Updated 12 November 2025

Applies to England

© Crown copyright 2025

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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ofsted-annual-fostering-data-collection/ofsted-fostering-dataset-returns-annual-changes

Introduction to changes for the financial year 2025 to 2026 onwards

This page confirms the changes that we will make to the data collection template and the portal for 2025 to 2026. The data we are collecting relates to the financial year 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026.

Confirmed changes for 2025 to 2026

There are no changes to the data collection for 2025 to 2026.

The protected and personal characteristics section of ‘Other data’ will remain optional on an ongoing basis.

Fostering hubs may still choose to submit hub-level aggregated numbers, or individual local authority-level numbers, of initial enquiries during a given year. Please continue to use the comments box to list the local authorities within the hub. The hub lead should coordinate the reporting arrangements and reach agreement with all hub members.

Proposed changes for 2026 to 2027 onwards

We propose to add a new section to ‘Other data’ to capture lower-level concerns related to standards of care. There will be 1 question to collect the number of concerns investigated and 6 proposed categories for outcomes, as follows:

  • How many standards of care concerns did you investigate during the year?
    • No further action
    • Additional support
    • Training
    • Child moved
    • Referral to panel
    • Termination of approval

This new section will be optional for the 2026 to 2027 collection.

We propose to slightly change the exemptions data we collect in the household-level data. B5 ‘exemptions in operation during year’ will require a number. We previously collected ‘Yes’, ‘No’ or ‘Unknown’. The number of instances should reflect how many times during the year an exemption to the usual fostering limit was applied.

We propose to change some of the data collected in the allegations section (N1) of ‘Other data’:

For the outcomes of investigations of allegations, the outcomes are being replaced to align them with the local authority designated officer (LADO) outcomes. N1.12 to N1.14 are being removed. The new outcomes categories will be as follows:

•        Substantiated (proven)

•        False (disproven)

•        Malicious (made with intent to deceive)

•        Unsubstantiated (insufficient evidence to prove or disprove)

•        Not concluded/no outcome decided yet

Two questions in ‘Other data’ are being replaced:

  • The current question N1.10: ‘How many referrals to the local authority child protection team were made?’ will be replaced by a new question: ‘How many allegations met local authority designated officer (LADO) threshold?’
  • The current question N1.11: ‘How many Section 47 enquiries were made?’ will be replaced by a new question: ‘How many allegations led to a section 47 investigation?’

Please contact socialcaredata@ofsted.gov.uk if you have any queries or suggestions about the fostering dataset return.

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