Skip to main content
Form

Ofsted fostering dataset returns: annual changes

Updated 30 October 2026

Applies to England

© Crown copyright 2026

This publication is licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0 except where otherwise stated. To view this licence, visit nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3 or write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gov.uk.

Where we have identified any third party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned.

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 2026 to 2027 onwards

This page confirms the changes that we will make to the data collection template and the portal for 2026 to 2027. The data we are collecting relates to the financial year 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027.

Confirmed changes for 2026 to 2027

We will 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 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 will 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 will 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)

  • Unfounded (no evidence or proper basis to support the allegation being made)

  • 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?’

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

Fostering hubs may still choose to submit numbers for initial enquiries during a given year either for the entire hub or for the individual local authority. 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 2027 to 2028 onwards

There are no current plans to change the data collection for 2027 to 2028.

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

Back to top