Unannounced inspections key to new children's home regime, says Ofsted

Ofsted has launched a new framework for all children’s homes in England that will see all inspections take place unannounced.

“This is to ensure that inspectors see the homes as they really are and in response to what children had said during consultation.” the watchdog said.

Ofsted added that the new regime would focus on the quality and impact of services and the outcomes achieved for children and young people.

Homes will be inspected twice yearly, with one full inspection (lasting up to two days) which will provide a rating on a four-point scale: Outstanding, Good, Satisfactory and Inadequate.

Where a home is judged to be inadequate, a follow-up inspection will take place within three to six months. “This will ensure that recommendations and requirements made are met but also to help support the homes to improve,” Ofsted said.

Interim inspections will look at improvements since the previous full inspection and provide a rating on a three-point scale of good progress, satisfactory progress or inadequate progress.

The announcement comes ahead of the expected publication by the Department for Education of new Children’s Homes Regulations and new National Minimum Standards for Children’s Homes. These will come into force from 1 April 2011.

John Goldup, National Inspection Development Director at Ofsted, 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.”