Independent Care Home Providers
Duties under Children’s Homes Regulation for children’s home providers
The information on this web page has been produced to assist managers in children’s homes and prospective providers of new children’s homes to carry out duties under amendments to regulations that came into effect on 1 April 2014.
This advice covers the following:
- Regulation 31 and location assessments and;
- Missing children policy and procedure
- Additional national and local guidance
The Looked After Children Care Providers’ Information Pack has been designed by Staffordshire Police, in conjunction with partners involved in children’s social care and local care providers.
As well as useful information around responding to risks faced by looked-after children and young people (CYP), there are a number of forms and feedback sheets for use by care staff.
What the children’s home manager/ provider need to do
Regulation 31: Fitness of premises requires the registered person to make sure that the premises are appropriately and suitably located, so that children are effectively safeguarded and are able to access all the services to meet the needs of the child.
New duties placed on providers require them to:
- Carry out a risk assessment of the area before the opening of the home and then at regular intervals
- Put in place appropriate safeguards where risks had been identified before a home opens (or where new risks appear over time); and
- Collaborate with the police and LSCB at all stages of this process, not just in putting the safeguards in place but also trying to identify the risks in the first place
This document provides further guidance on what to consider when conducting location reviews:
Children’s homes regulations amendments 2014: Advice for children’s homes providers on new duties under amendments to regulations that came into effect in January and April 2014
