Guidance and regulation

Tell Ofsted about a serious incident in a children’s home or secure children’s home.

• From: Ofsted
• Updated: 26 October 2023

Guidance for those providing residential children’s homes for vulnerable children.

• From: Department for Education
• Updated: 6 March 2015

When and how to register with Ofsted if you want to open or manage a children's home or secure children's home.

• From: Ofsted
• Updated: 6 October 2023

• Introduction to children’s homes

  This guide is specific to children’s homes and provides information that…

Guide to the regulations on providing supported accommodation for children and young people. It includes the quality standards that all supported accommodation providers must meet.

• From: Department for Education
• Updated: 23 March 2023

Statutory guidance about local authority support to children and families.

• From: Department for Education
• Updated: 8 July 2021

Ofsted's framework and guidance for inspecting local authority services for children (ILACS) in need of help and protection, children in care and care leavers.

• From: Ofsted
• Updated: 5 April 2024

Statutory guidance for local-authority-maintained schools carrying out duties for looked-after and previously looked-after children.

• From: Department for Education
• Updated: 26 February 2018

Statutory guidance for local authorities to support looked-after and previously looked-after children's aspirations to achieve in further and higher education.

• From: Department for Education
• Updated: 26 February 2018

Statutory guidance on the planning, commissioning and delivery of health services for looked-after children.

• From: Department for Education and 1 others
• Updated: 24 August 2022

How virtual school heads should manage the school-age pupil premium and the early years pupil premium for looked-after children.

• From: Department for Education
• Updated: 19 March 2015

Guide for local authorities submitting the children looked after data return for the year 2023 to 2024.

• From: Department for Education
• Updated: 3 April 2024

How local authorities should collect and submit data for the annual children looked after return (also known as SSDA903).

• From: Department for Education
• Updated: 31 January 2024

Statutory guidance for local authorities and their partners to stop children going missing and to protect those who do.

• From: Department for Education
• Updated: 24 January 2014

Annex A form for children's homes and secure children's homes to fill in ahead of inspections under the social care common inspection framework (SCCIF).

• From: Ofsted
• Updated: 5 April 2024

This guidance outlines 'staying put' arrangements that enable care leavers to remain with their former foster carers after they turn 18.

• From: Department for Education and 2 others
• Updated: 22 May 2013

How local authorities should extend the virtual school head role to champion and promote the education of children with a social worker and children in kinship care.

• From: Department for Education
• Updated: 5 March 2024

Volume 3: statutory guidance for local authorities on helping care leavers aged 16 and 17 prepare for adulthood.

• From: Department for Education
• Updated: 1 February 2022

Guidance for local authorities and schools dealing with adults who have legal rights and responsibilities for a child.

• From: Department for Education
• Updated: 24 August 2023

Statutory guidance on providing effective advocacy services for children and young people making a complaint under the children Act 1989.

• From: Department for Education
• Updated: 29 March 2004

Information about the SFPC programme to help safely reduce the number of children entering care.

• From: Department for Education
• Updated: 21 June 2021