From today (Friday 4 April), Ofsted is making some important changes to the way children's social care providers are inspected, aimed at improving support for children with complex needs.
The changes to the social care common inspection framework (SCCIF) are mainly for the benefit of children's homes and fostering agencies. They are intended to encourage more homes and agencies to look after children with high or multiple needs, with added reassurance that this will not negatively affect their Ofsted rating.
Ofsted research published last year found that 91% of local authorities struggle to find suitable homes for children with complex needs. Some children wait months, or even years, for a stable placement. The research also found that concerns about Ofsted ratings were cited by local authorities as a frequent reason for homes rejecting referrals of children with complex needs. Local authorities felt that good and outstanding-rated homes in particular were hesitant to look after these children, due to fears of being downgraded at their next inspection.
As a result, children with complex needs are too often living far from family or friends, experiencing multiple moves, or are accommodated in unsuitable and unregistered homes.
The small number of changes to the SCCIF guidance, including the criteria which inspectors use to evaluate practice, will put a sharper focus on:
- how providers promote and sustain stability for children, including those with high needs
- a provider's placement decisions, including how they balance the needs of a child requiring a placement with those of children already living in the home
- the timeliness of a provider's work to prepare children for their next move
- how accurately placement decisions reflect a provider's statement of purpose
The effectiveness of providers' work with partners to achieve greater stability for children, especially for those at most risk of instability and uncertainty in their lives, will be central to inspections.
Yvette Stanley, Ofsted's National Director of Social Care, said:
Every child deserves a stable, supportive home environment where they can thrive. We know that finding the right placement for a child can be challenging, but homes and fostering agencies should feel confident in their ability to provide long-term, sustainable care for vulnerable children who need it most. We want providers to be risk-aware, not risk-averse.
I hope these changes send a clear message that we will recognise providers who step up to support our children with complex needs, and who stick with them though the most difficult times.
The updated framework reflects Ofsted's commitment to putting children's needs at the heart of the inspection process. The changes have been made following continued engagement with social care stakeholders, including people with lived experience of the care system.
Inspectors will be trained on the changes to inspection guidance, as part of the added reassurance that providers will not be unfairly penalised for taking in children with complex needs.
We previously published a blog about these changes .
