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Yesterday Ofsted launches the Inspection of children’s homes, a new inspection framework for all children’s homes in the England.

The framework will focus inspection on the quality and impact of services and the outcomes achieved for children and young people.

The Department for Education will shortly publish new Children’s Homes Regulations and new National Minimum Standards for Children’s Homes for implementation from 1 April 2011. All inspections of children’s homes will be carried out under the new framework, taking into account with the new regulations and standards, from that date.

To strengthen the approach to inspections, all children’s homes inspections will be unannounced. This is to ensure that inspectors see the homes as they really are and in response to what children had said during consultation.

Children’s homes will be inspected twice yearly with one full inspection and an interim inspection. The full inspection can take up to two days and judgements will be made through carefully balanced consideration of the impact of the quality of care provided on children and young people. The overall judgement will be made on a four-point scale: Outstanding, Good, Satisfactory and Inadequate.

The interim inspection, normally a one day inspection, will focus on progress in improving quality of care and outcomes for children and young people since the last full inspection. It will consider progress made in addressing any requirements or recommendations made at the previous inspection. Judgement will be made on a three-point scale: good progress; satisfactory progress; or inadequate progress.

Announcing the new framework, John Goldup, National Inspection Development Director said:

“The quality of residential care for children is vitally important. High quality care has the potential to turn a young person’s life around. Poor quality care can ruin it. We need to be sure that inspection is absolutely focused on the things that make the most difference to children and young people. That’s what our new framework seeks to do.”

Under the new arrangements, where a children’s home is judged inadequate, there will be a follow up inspection within three to six months. This will ensure that recommendations and requirements made are met but also to help support the homes to improve.

As with all children’s social care services inspections, children’s homes inspections will be carried out by experienced social care inspectors.

Developed through consultation with key professionals and groups of children and young people between July and October 2010, the framework has been tested through a series of pilot inspections and full inspections in the period up to February 2011.

Related links

Read the Framework for the inspection of Children’s Homes Document Report

Read the Evaluation schedule for the inspection of Children’s Homes Report

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Notes for Editors

1. Inspection of children's homes: framework for inspection, and Inspection of children's homes: Evaluation schedule and grade descriptors can be found on the Ofsted website at www.ofsted.gov.uk

The powers to regulate and inspect children’s social care services including children’s homes transferred to Ofsted under section 148 of the Education and Inspection Act 2006. The Education and Inspections Act requires Ofsted to carry out its work in ways which encourage the services it inspects and regulates to:

The legal basis for the regulation of children’s homes is set out in the Care Standards Act 2000 (the Act) and regulations made under section 22 of the Act. The Act set out a definition of a children’s home and Ofsted’s powers to register, inspect and, where necessary, enforce compliance with the Act and relevant regulations.

Monitoring inspections will take place if there has been an incident or complaint that becomes a compliance investigation enquiry (CIE) case. These inspections may be undertaken at the same time as a statutory inspection.

2. The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) regulates and inspects to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

3. Media can contact the Ofsted Press Office through 020 7421 6574 or via Ofsted's enquiry line 0300 1231231 between 8.30am - 6.30pm Monday - Friday. Out of these hours, during evenings and weekends, the duty press officer can be reached on 07919 057359.