Regulation 52: Short Breaks and Secure Children's Homes
Regulation 52 applies the Children's Homes Regulations with modifications to children placed in series of short breaks and to secure children's homes, as set out in Schedule 5. This explainer covers why these modifications matter and where to find the exact provisions.
Regulation 52 applies the Children's Homes Regulations with modifications to children placed in series of short breaks (no placement exceeding 17 days, 75 days total per year) and to secure children's homes. The modifications are set out in Schedule 5 to the Regulations.
Quick answer: what does Regulation 52 do?
1. Why Regulation 52 matters
Not every Regulation applies identically across every setting. Short break placements and secure children's homes have different characteristics from standard children's homes, and the Regulations recognise this by modifying how certain provisions apply. Providers operating these types of provision must check the exact modifications in Schedule 5 rather than assuming the standard Regulations apply in full.
2. Short break settings
The modifications for short breaks apply where: (a) the child is not in the care of a local authority; and (b) the child is placed in a series of short term placements within children's homes, where no single placement is intended to last more than 17 days, the child returns to the care of a parent or person with parental responsibility at the end of each placement, and the short breaks do not exceed 75 days in total in any 12 month period. The modifications are set out in paragraphs 1 and 2 of Schedule 5.
3. Secure children's homes
The Regulations apply to secure children's homes with the modifications set out in paragraphs 3 to 6 of Schedule 5. Secure children's homes are homes provided for the purpose of restricting liberty and approved for that purpose, or secure 16 to 19 Academies. The modifications reflect the additional safeguards and restrictions that apply in secure settings.
4. Checking the exact provisions
Providers of short break services or secure children's homes must check Schedule 5 to the Regulations to understand exactly which provisions are modified and how. This explainer does not reproduce Schedule 5. The full Schedule is available on legislation.gov.uk.
Use the official source
5. Related guidance
Where to go next
Related resources
Guides and tools that connect to this one.
Regulation 51: Death of Registered Person
Regulation 51 requires notification to HMCI of the death of a registered person and sets out the duties of surviving registered persons and personal r…
Preparing for Ofsted Inspection: Understanding the SCCIF for Children's Homes
How Ofsted inspects children's homes under the Social Care Common Inspection Framework: the three judgement areas, how evidence is gathered and how to…
Regulation 5: Engaging with the Wider System to Ensure Children's Needs Are Met
Regulation 5 is an overarching requirement that runs across all nine Quality Standards. It requires the registered person to engage with the wider sys…
Regulation 37: Other Records
Regulation 37 requires the registered person to maintain the records set out in Schedule 4 to the Children's Homes Regulations 2015, keep them up to d…
Regulation 49: Notice of Changes
Regulation 49 requires the registered person to give HMCI written notice of specified changes affecting the home, including changes of provider, manag…
What to do next
Sources and further reading
This guidance references the following official sources. Always consult the underlying legislation and official guidance where appropriate.
Legislation
Legislation · Legislation
Accessed 2026-08-19
About this guidance
A concise explainer on Regulation 52 of the Children's Homes (England) Regulations 2015, covering the modified application of the Regulations to short breaks and secure children's homes.