Children and families services: For children and young people

Inspecting children and families services

We inspect to check the quality of services for children and young people. We inspect:

  • adoption support agencies
  • boarding schools
  • Cafcass, the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service
  • children’s centres
  • children’s homes
  • local authorities
  • local authority adoption agencies
  • independent fostering agencies
  • local authority fostering services
  • local authority private fostering services
  • residential family centres
  • residential special schools
  • secure establishments
  • voluntary adoption agencies.

New inspections of local authorities

A local authority is another name for your local council.

Inspecting child protection

Your local authority is in charge of child protection, including helping children and their parents or carers when required.

In May 2012 we began new inspections of how local authorities are set up for child protection. For further information go to the Inspecting and assessing local authority children's services page on the left.

Inspecting services for children looked after

‘Children looked after’ is a new term that covers:

  • adoption
  • fostering
  • children that the local authority looks after.

From April 2013 we will begin to inspect how local authorities are set up to help and support children looked after.

For further information go to Responses to Ofsted’s consultation on the inspection of local authority children’s services.

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