This framework sets out Ofsteds process for inspecting secure childrens homes.
Our approach is underpinned by the following 3 principles that apply to all social care inspections:
to focus on the things that matter most to childrens lives
to be consistent in our expectations of providers
to prioritise our work where improvement is needed most
Published 22 February 2017 Last updated 15 July 2022 +show all updates
Minor change to clarify that we may carry out a monitoring inspection to do a premises check as part of the DfE licence approval process or provide advice about building projects.
Added inspection guidance for April 2022: replaced interim inspections with assurance inspections and added additional guidance for when inspectors discover possible unregistered provision.
In The inspection report section, added clarification on the non-publication of child-friendly summary reports.
Removed guidance on assurance visits, as we are no longer carrying these out.
Added guidance on inspecting secure childrens homes during COVID-19 restrictions. Updated guidance to reflect the changes to Ofsteds post-inspection processes and complaints handling (including the timeline) that we introduced in September 2020. Minor edits for readability.