Regulation 40 Notification Decision Tree – Children’s Homes

Description

Deciding whether an incident should be notified to Ofsted is not always straightforward. While some events clearly require notification, others depend on the Registered Person’s assessment of whether the incident is considered serious.

The Regulation 40 Notification Decision Tree provides a clear, visual framework to support decision-making in children’s homes.

The resource guides managers through the key notification categories under Regulation 40, including the death of a child, safeguarding referrals, known or suspected sexual exploitation, serious incidents requiring police involvement, allegations of abuse, child protection enquiries and other incidents the Registered Person considers serious.

It also includes practical examples of incidents that may indicate seriousness, guidance on police involvement, missing episodes, self-harm and serious accidents, and prompts to consider patterns, escalation and cumulative impact.

Designed as a practical management and compliance resource, the decision tree can support Registered Managers, Responsible Individuals and senior staff when reviewing incidents and recording the rationale for notification decisions.

Please note: This resource supports professional decision-making and does not replace the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015, statutory guidance or professional judgement.