Notification of Significant Events

The Children’s Homes Regulations also require notifications to be made to Ofsted, the placing authority and other relevant persons in the following circumstances:

1. An incident requiring Police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious; and
2. There is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious.

Deciding whether an incident is ‘serious’ and warrants notification to Ofsted will depend on many factors, including the age of the child, the frequency of the incident(s), the nature of any injuries sustained, any additional needs the child has and the context of the home. In some instances the cumulative effect of frequent incidents may make a notification appropriate even if  the individual  event would not warrant this.

Police involvement does not mean the Police have been informed of an incident; rather involvement implies that they are actively doing something concerning the incident, for example making an arrest or taking witness statements.

Incidents which are likely to be considered serious, and thus warrant notification to Ofsted as well as the placing authority, include:

• A child being the victim or perpetrator of a serious assault;
• A serious incident of self harm;
• Serious concerns over a child’s missing behaviour, such as where you consider the child to be at grave risk due to their age or vulnerability or where they have been missing for a considerable period of time and their whereabouts are unknown. (Please note - Ofsted do not need to routinely know about children going missing, even if the Police are called out to help look for them. However, this information should always be shared with the placing authority).

A serious illness or accident would include matters such as fractured bones, when a child loses consciousness or situations that require admittance to hospital for more than 24 hours. Ofsted do not need to be notified about injuries such as sprains, strains or falls that have happened in the course of regular childhood experiences. This is the case even if the child is taken to the local accident and emergency department to have the injury checked out, unless it results in the child being admitted to hospital for more than 24 hours. If the injury has been sustained as part of a wider incident, for example a restraint or during a child running away, it may be appropriate to notify Ofsted. However Ofsted do not need to know if a child becomes ill and is not admitted to hospital.

Self-harm incidents that result in minor or superficial injuries do not need to be reported to Ofsted. However, homes should have in place a system for notifying responsible authorities of any serious concerns about the emotional or mental health of a child to the extent that a mental health assessment would be requested under the Mental Health Act 1983.

This is not an exhaustive list, and each case must be assessed individually taking into account any patterns of behaviour or unusual behaviour that may indicate an increased risk to the child.

Regardless of whether Ofsted are notified, the home must always share any concerns about the child or their behaviour with the placing authority, in order to safeguard the child and promote their welfare.

Ofsted do not need to be sent updates in relation to any notifications made, though it may be appropriate to share updates with the placing authority and other relevant persons.

There may be occasions when an inspector will ask for an update following a serious incident because this would be helpful in understanding what has happened and the action that you have taken. In these situations, the inspector is likely to ask for additional information directly by email rather than through a series of further notifications.