Ofsted signals tougher, clearer inspections as children’s homes face reform
Ofsted’s chief inspector Sir Martin Oliver HMCI told the Children’s Home Association (CHA) that the regulator is working on a revised inspection framework intended to make judgements clearer and more consistent, while recognising the complex needs of children in residential care.
Speaking at the CHA conference, Sir Martin said the aim was to ensure children are cared for in the right homes, in the right places, by staff with the right skills. He welcomed the work of providers across the sector, including private, charitable and local-authority homes, and urged providers not to turn away children simply out of concern that a difficult start to a placement could harm their inspection grade.
A proposed five-point scale and clearer expectations
Ofsted has consulted on changes to the Social Care Common Inspection Framework (SCCIF). The proposals include a five-point grading scale and a “secure fit” approach to judgements. The revised framework is intended to put greater emphasis on children’s enduring relationships and to recognise that progress may take time. Inspectors should consider a child’s longer-term stability and development, Sir Martin said, rather than draw conclusions from a short period of dysregulated behaviour after a move into a new Childrens home.
Yvette Stanley, National Director Social Care and Regulation said the framework was being developed to combine broad expectations about care with more specific guidance for inspectors. Possible areas of focus include whether care is nurturing and individualised, how risks are understood and managed proportionately, and whether children become safer over time. Guidance may also distinguish between different types of homes, such as short-term assessment placements and homes providing longer-term care.
The details have not been finalised. Yvette said Ofsted was reviewing about 260 consultation responses, working with an expert advisory group and preparing test-and-learn activity involving 12 types of provider and two local authorities. She said Ofsted expected to share a further public update after Christmas.
What “secure fit” means
Sir Martin described “best fit” as starting with the overall impact an inspector wants to assess, then asking which grade description most closely fits the evidence. Under “secure fit,” the framework would set out more specifically what inspectors are looking for, line by line. Inspectors would gather evidence against those expectations and then step back to consider the overall impact on children.
Ofsted says this could make inspections more transparent and consistent: providers would have a clearer account of what is being assessed, rather than having to guess how an inspector interprets broad descriptions. Sir Martin said secure fit should not mean perfection or a rigid tick-box exercise. The proposed “expected” level would allow for what is typically in place, and for providers to identify shortcomings and show credible plans to address them. Inspectors would still need to use judgement, he said.
The proposed scale was described as having “expected” in the middle, with “strong” and “exceptional” above it, and “needs attention” and “urgent improvement” below. Martin said the upper grades would reflect increasingly embedded practice and positive impact, while urgent improvement would signal care that was not adequate. Yvette noted that some consultation responses raised concern about a limiting judgement linked to local authorities’ use of unregistered provision; Ofsted said it was considering that feedback.
Unregistered homes and pressure on placements
A central concern in Martin’s speech was the use of unregistered children’s homes. He called such provision unlawful and warned that it lacks the independent regulatory oversight, guaranteed checks on staff and living conditions, and accountability available in registered settings. He said some children placed in these homes have particularly complex needs, including children subject to Deprivation of Liberty Orders.
Sir Martin said Ofsted had secured its first successful prosecution earlier in the year and was building cases against illegal provision. He also said new powers to fine illegal homes were expected to come into effect the following year. Ofsted is prioritising registration applications and giving guaranteed timelines only to priority cases; other applications are still being processed in date order, but without a promised timetable.
The regulator faces a significant backlog. Sir Martin cited around 30 to 50 applications arriving each week, against capacity to process about 10, and a backlog approaching 1,100. He also pointed to a mismatch between available beds and children’s needs: although he cited roughly 5,000 to 6,000 empty beds, those places may not be in the right locations or suitable for children who need particular staffing levels, skills or support. He said only about 60 per cent of applications were in areas where homes were most needed.
Ofsted’s stated response is not simply to increase the number of homes.Sir Martin called for earlier family support to prevent needs escalating, more fostering where appropriate, good specialist homes in the right places, and action against illegal provision. He also backed regional cooperation between neighbouring local authorities where it could help plan capacity across local boundaries.
The panel acknowledged that Ofsted cannot create an interim “halfway” category for homes awaiting registration: the regulator registers and inspects under regulations set by government. Yvette said the regulations, which she described as around 20 years old, need updating, but cautioned that changes must protect children’s stability. She also said providers should notify Ofsted about significant events so inspectors can consider what happened and how the provider responded; failing to notify is a concern.
Sir Martin’s message to providers was that children’s homes can be the right choice, not merely a last resort. He said Ofsted should recognise providers that have the capacity, plans and skills to care for children with complex needs, and judge their work with a view to children’s progress over time. The proposed framework, he said, must help inspectors do that consistently while keeping children’s safety and care at its centre.