Ofsted
Introduction
Ofsted needs to know about everyone with a role of responsibility. This means a governance or management role in a supported accommodation service.
Each of these people will need to complete an SC2 form. The form allows us to match them to the right service. It also enables us to check on their suitability and fitness to run or manage a childrens social care service.
We will also carry out an interview with the person applying to be the registered service manager. If you are an individual provider or partner, we will also interview you. We may also interview other people connected to the application.
When you need to fill in an SC2 form
There are 2 situations in which people with a specific role of responsibility need to complete an SC2 form.
When the service first applies to register with us, people with a role of responsibility must be listed on the SC1 form. If you are listed on this form, you must submit an SC2 form. We will contact you if you have been listed.
If you are the proposed service manager, or a new partner or a new nominated individual joining a service that is already registered, you must complete this form as soon as you know you are joining, even if you have not started yet.
Who we need to know about
If you are registering your service for the first time, you must tell us about anyone in your service who holds a role of responsibility. This includes:
- directors of an organisation, or any individual who performs functions that are the same as, or similar to, those of a director
- an individual provider
- all partners in a partnership
- a nominated individual
- a registered service manager
If the service you are joining is already registered with us, you only need to complete an SC2 form if you are applying to be the registered service manager, or you are a new partner or a new nominated individual.
Factors that may prevent you from connecting
There are several factors that may prevent you from connecting, including:
- not meeting the requirements of the Care Standards Act 2000 (Registration) Regulations 2010 and the Supported Accommodation (England) Regulations 2023
- being on the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS)s list of individuals barred from working with children
The process
The process is the same if you are connecting to a service that is in the process of registering, or to one that is already registered.
The process assesses your fitness to provide a supported accommodation service. You must be able to meet the fitness requirements for your role.
There are 3 stages to the process.
Stage 1: Application form
You must complete an SC2 form. This form will ask for personal and professional information. You will also need to upload certain documents, such as a DBS check, depending on your role. Read about the information you will need to provide in the SC2 form.
When you submit your SC2 form, we will assess it to make sure it contains all the information we need. If it does not, we will return it to you and explain why. You will need to provide the missing information within 12 weeks, otherwise we may be unable to progress your application.
If you are applying to be the registered service manager, we will ask for a fee after you have submitted your SC2 form and may ask for additional information.
Once we have received all the information we need, including the registration fees, we will consider your application as complete. Your application will then move into stage 2.
Stage 2: Checks and references
We will assess your application and the information you have submitted. We will also collect references and conduct required checks, including:
- local authority checks in the area(s) you have lived in for the last 5 years
- DBS check
- if necessary, any other person or organisation who has relevant information about you, such as your GP or other medical professional
Local authority checks
As part of the checks, we ask the local authorities you have lived in during the last 5 years if:
- you have been the subject of any child protection inquiries, including whether you have had a child removed from your care
- there is any other information held about you that might affect your ability to be part of a registered provider or a registered service manager
We also consider relevant information about any previous applications you have made, even if you withdrew the application before a decision was made.
We will only move your application to stage 3 when we have received all necessary information from our checks. The time this takes depends on the time it takes for us to receive the information we need.
Stage 3: Interview and decision
We will always conduct an interview with you if you are applying to be the registered service manager. We will also send the registered service manager a pre-interview questionnaire to complete.
We will usually also interview any partners in a partnership or owners in an individual provider.
We may also interview the nominated individual, directors in an organisation or other individuals who complete an SC2 form.
We aim to hold interviews within 40 days of your application moving to stage 3. The interview will usually be at your office. However, it can also be at another of your premises, at Ofsteds premises, or at a pre-booked third-party venue. If it is going to be more than 40 days before we can carry out the interviews, we will let you know.
Registered service manager interview
We will ask you about your understanding of important aspects of your service, for example:
- your professional knowledge
- how you propose to lead and manage the service
- your safeguarding knowledge and practice
- staff recruitment and management
- how you promote good outcomes for children
You must also:
- have the skills, knowledge and ability to represent the service in a way that promotes both good practice and continuous improvement
- have the business and management skills to supervise the management of the service efficiently and effectively if this is within your role or job description
- show that you, or another official within the organisation, have the necessary financial skills and expertise to run the service on a sound financial basis, including ensuring its long-term financial viability
Documents required at interview
You must provide:
- your original birth certificate
- your original DBS certificate
We do not accept copies of these documents.
You must also provide the following (either the original documents, or authenticated copies):
- your government-issued photographic identification, such as a current passport or driving licence
- 2 pieces of evidence (dated within the last 12 months) confirming your current address, for example a utility bill, bank or mortgage statement, or any recent communication from your local authority or a government agency
- your qualification certificates (where relevant qualifications are held). If you do not hold a relevant qualification, then this is not required
If you have changed your name by marriage, deed poll, adoption, statutory declaration or any other means, you need to provide evidence of this change. This evidence could, for example, be a marriage certificate or decree/final order.
We will aim make a decision about refusing or granting your application within 7 days following the interview.
If you are connecting to a service that is registering for the first time, you can read our guidance on registering a supported accommodation service for more information about the registration process.
If we accept your application, we will continue to check this through regular inspections and other regulatory activity.
Withdrawing your application
Find out how to withdraw your application
How to apply
Find out what information you will need to complete the SC2 form.