Regulation & inspection
What is an Ofsted inspection?
An Ofsted inspection of a children's home evaluates the experiences and progress of the children living there and the effectiveness of its leaders and managers, resulting in a published graded judgement.
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<img src="https://careoptix.co.uk/glossary/ofsted-inspection/diagram.svg" alt="Ofsted inspection — diagram from CareOptix" width="880" height="620" loading="lazy">
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<a href="https://careoptix.co.uk/glossary/ofsted-inspection">What is an Ofsted inspection?</a> — diagram by
<a href="https://careoptix.co.uk">CareOptix</a>
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</figure>The weight sits on children's experiences and progress. Inspectors talk to children, observe the home, speak with staff and look at records to test whether what they are told is borne out.
Inspections are generally unannounced, which means the state of the home on an ordinary day is what gets judged. That is the intention, and it is why preparation cannot substitute for practice.
Judgements are published and are read by placing authorities, families and prospective staff. The consequences of a judgement therefore extend well beyond the regulatory relationship.
What goes wrong in practice
- Preparation efforts concentrated on files rather than on the practice those files describe.
- Staff unable to explain how they meet the standards in their own words.
- Records that are complete but contradicted by what children say, which is the most damaging finding available.
- Previous recommendations not evidently acted on since the last inspection.