Children’s homes in England must receive a visit from an independent person every month under regulation 44. Ofsted’s guidance for providers and managers says the visit report must reach Ofsted by the end of the following month, including when no children are living in the home.
The children’s homes inspection framework, updated on 28 October 2026, also describes the separate regulation 45 review of quality of care. That review takes place at least every six months. The monthly visit reports can provide evidence for the registered person to consider when reviewing children’s experiences and progress.
Trace one finding to its outcome
As a practical management check, choose a finding from a recent visit. Follow it through the home’s action record. Identify who accepted responsibility, what change was agreed and when the team expected to review it. Ask what evidence led the manager to close the action or keep it open.
A completed task may be the start of a change. If a team has introduced a new way to share activity choices, for example, a review can check whether staff use it and whether children can express their preferences through it. Keep the individual accounts in the appropriate approved records.
Look across several visits
Compare findings over a few months and identify issues that recur. Repetition may prompt a question about whether the action addressed the cause, whether staff had the support to apply it or whether the review happened too soon. Record the question to explore and the evidence needed to answer it.
Where an action depends on work outside the manager’s control, set out who has been contacted and when the next update is expected. This gives the next visitor and the registered person a clear account of progress and outstanding work.
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