Category: Regulation & Inspection
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Ofsted Updates Guidance on Restraint, Physical Intervention and Restrictions of Liberty
The latest revision reflects developments in the Department for Education’s guidance on restraint and restrictive practices in schools. Although this does not introduce a new regulatory framework for children’s homes or supported accommodation, it provides an important opportunity for providers to review their existing arrangements. For children’s homes, this means…
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Ofsted Updates SCCIF Guidance: What Changed in October 2026?
Ofsted’s current Social Care Common Inspection Framework (SCCIF) contains important guidance concerning the accommodation of young adults in children’s homes, the regulatory position of CQC-registered care homes and the arrangements for inspecting supported accommodation. These provisions have practical implications for registered providers, responsible individuals, nominated individuals and registered managers, particularly…
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Ofsted Introduces Monetary Penalties Framework for Unregistered Children’s Social Care: What Providers and Managers Need to Know
Ofsted has published new guidance explaining how it will determine and impose financial penalties against organisations and individuals responsible for operating or managing unregistered children’s social care provision in England. The guidance, Unregistered social care: how we apply monetary penalties, establishes a structured approach to assessing the seriousness of offences,…
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November & December 2026 Live Online Training Calendar: Strengthening Practice, Confidence and Compliance
Social Care Skills is pleased to announce its November and December 2026 Live Online Training Programme, bringing together a range of practical, CPD-focused learning opportunities for professionals working across Children’s Homes, Supported Accommodation, Fostering Services and wider children’s social care. As we approach the end of 2026, this is an…
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New Information Sharing Duty: What Changes from 30 September 2026?
Effective safeguarding depends on the right information reaching the right people at the right time. With a new statutory Information Sharing Duty coming into force on 30 September, we look at what this means for everyday safeguarding practice and the questions children’s social care providers should be asking now.
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October Training Programme: New Courses, Practical Learning and Professional Development
Our October Training Programme is now available, bringing together seven seminars covering direct practice, care planning, safeguarding, regulation, inspection, cultural competency and the experiences of children and young people. In October, Social Care Skills is also introducing several new courses, expanding our programme into areas of practice that are highly…
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Leaving Care: Independence Must Not Mean Being Alone
A new Children’s Social Care Blog post has highlighted a difficult but important issue for everyone supporting young people in and leaving care: the transition towards independence can also become a transition into loneliness and isolation. Published on 25 August 2026, Tackling the loneliness of leaving care is written by…
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New Ofsted & DfE Research: Preventing Young People from Becoming Disengaged from Education, Employment and Training
Ofsted has published the terms of reference for a new research study, jointly funded with the Department for Education, looking at what works in preventing young people aged 16–18 from becoming disengaged from education, employment and training. An important starting point for the research is that disengagement can begin before…
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Ofsted Updates its Social Care Enforcement Policy
Ofsted has updated its Social Care Enforcement Policy, setting out how the regulator will use its enforcement powers when concerns arise about registered children’s social care services or where services are operating without the required registration. The policy was updated today, 20 August 2026, and applies across regulated children’s social…
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Children’s Social Care in England 2026: What Ofsted’s Latest Statistics Mean for Providers
The Department for Education and Ofsted have published the latest Children’s Social Care in England 2026 statistical release. While the publication is primarily a collection of national data, it provides valuable insight into the direction of travel for children’s social care and reinforces many of the themes that providers are…