Skip to main content
Corporate report

Terms of reference for the review of professional development for the children’s homes workforce

Published 4 June 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/review-of-professional-development-for-the-childrens-homes-workforce-terms-of-reference/terms-of-reference-for-the-review-of-professional-development-for-the-childrens-homes-workforce

Introduction

The quality and number of loving, stable relationships a child has – while in care and into adulthood – should be the clearest measure of how well the care system is working. Every child who cannot live with their birth family deserves the warmth, stability and belonging of a home where they are loved.

The government is committed to providing a foster place for every child who needs one, which means more children will be supported in family settings. This will enable residential care to be focused on those children in care whose needs are best met in this setting, and used purposefully to support children with a route back to family life.

A knowledgeable and skilled workforce within children’s homes is essential to ensuring children are protected and cared for. The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse concluded that there had been failures by staff to identify and act upon clear signs that children were being sexually abused and exploited.

Baroness Casey’s audit of group-based child sexual exploitation and abuse, which led to the establishment of the Independent Inquiry into Grooming Gangs, found that children in children’s homes have been targeted by perpetrators of child sexual exploitation.

Effective professional development for practitioners is vital to ensure that they have the skills and tools to identify and prevent exploitation of children living in children’s homes.

The review

The Department for Education is commissioning an expert-led review of professional development for the children’s homes workforce.

The review will:

  • define the purpose of residential care
  • determine the knowledge and skills the workforce require
  • recommend improvements to qualifications, training and professional development
  • consider how routes into the sector and career pathways can be developed to improve recruitment, retention and progression

The outcomes from the review will directly inform the practice of new DfE-funded children’s homes and any future changes to standards.           

Themes and questions

The review will focus on:

  1. The purpose of residential care: what is the role of children’s homes and how can they be used as a purposeful intervention?
  2. Knowledge and skills: what are the knowledge and skills required of both registered managers and staff to meet this purpose?
  3. Qualifications: how effective are the qualifications and apprenticeships in equipping registered managers and staff with the core knowledge and skills required to perform their roles, and how should they change?
  4. Ongoing training: what improvements can be made to training offers to ensure there are opportunities for ongoing professional development?
  5. Career pathways: how can career pathways and career progression be improved to support retention of staff in the sector?
  6. Accountability: does the oversight and regulation of children’s homes and training providers support the development of a skilled workforce?

The review will report to ministers in September 2026.

Back to top