Safeguarding
Safeguarding in children's homes
Safeguarding is at the heart of children's residential care. This page brings together CHH guidance on keeping children safe, from the core duty in Regulation 12 to missing episodes, allegations, restrictive practice and notifications.
Not an emergency service. The Children's Home Hub is not an emergency safeguarding service. If a child is in immediate danger, call 999. The guidance below is for professionals working in children's homes.
Start here
Regulation 12: The Protection of Children Standard
The core safeguarding duty for children's homes, covering safeguarding, risk, missing, exploitation, allegations and helping children become safer.
Foundations
Start with safeguarding
The core safeguarding duty and how it applies in a children's home.
Regulation 12: The Protection of Children Standard: Safeguarding, Risk, Missing, Exploitation, Allegations and Helping Children Become Safer
A practical guide to Regulation 12 for children's homes in England, covering safeguarding, risk assessment, missing from care, exploitation, self-harm, allegations against staff, online safety, searches, and helping children become safer.
Safeguarding Beyond Regulation 12: Exploitation, Self-Harm, Online Safety and Peer Harm
The specific safeguarding risks that children in residential care face: exploitation, self-harm, online harm and peer-on-peer harm, and how staff should recognise, respond and refer.
Responding to concerns
Allegations, exploitation and self-harm
Responding when things go wrong, from allegations against staff to exploitation and self-harm.
Allegations Against Staff, LADO and Whistleblowing in Children's Homes
A practical deep dive into managing allegations against staff in children's homes in England, covering what counts as an allegation, the four Working Together...
Safeguarding Beyond Regulation 12: Exploitation, Self-Harm, Online Safety and Peer Harm
The specific safeguarding risks that children in residential care face: exploitation, self-harm, online harm and peer-on-peer harm, and how staff should recognise, respond and refer.
Missing children
Missing from care
Preventing, responding to and learning from missing episodes.
Behaviour and restrictive practice
Behaviour, restraint and sanctions
Supporting behaviour without institutional practice, and when restraint may be necessary.
Restraint, Restrictive Practice and Deprivation of Liberty in Children's Homes
The definitive guide to Regulation 20 of the Children's Homes (England) Regulations 2015. What restraint legally means, when it can be used, necessity and...
Positive Behaviour Support in Children's Homes: Relationships, De-escalation & Behaviour Plans
A practical guide to positive behaviour support in children's homes in England, covering behaviour as communication, trauma-aware and attachment-aware practice,...
Sanctions, Consequences, Rewards & Prohibited Measures: Regulation 19
The canonical guide to Regulation 19 of the Children's Homes (England) Regulations 2015. Covers the legal framework, the ten prohibited disciplinary measures,...
Privacy and monitoring
Privacy, searches, monitoring and CCTV
The balance between keeping children safe and respecting their privacy.
Privacy, Bedrooms, Personal Space, Searches & Access Restrictions in Children's Homes: Regulation 21, Bedroom Privacy, Room Searches, Possessions, Locked Areas, Dignity, Restrictions & Ofsted Expectations
A practical guide to Regulation 21 in children's homes in England, covering privacy, bedrooms, personal space, possessions, staff entering bedrooms, room...
Monitoring, Surveillance, CCTV & Regulation 24 in Children's Homes: CCTV, Door Alarms, Audio Monitoring, Location Tracking, Privacy, Consent, Data Protection & Ofsted Expectations
A practical guide to Regulation 24 monitoring and surveillance in children's homes in England, covering the four statutory tests, CCTV, door alarms, audio...
Notifications
Notifications and escalation
When and how to notify Ofsted of serious incidents.
Children's voice
Complaints, advocacy and contact
How children raise concerns, access advocacy and stay in touch with family.
Complaints, Advocacy and Regulation 39 in Children's Homes
A practical deep dive into complaints and advocacy in children's homes in England, covering Regulation 39, what counts as a complaint, complaints vs everyday...
Contact, Communication, Family & Friends in Children's Homes: Regulation 22, Family Contact, Private Calls, Phones, Social Media, Restrictions, Advocacy & Ofsted Expectations
A practical guide to Regulation 22 contact and communication in children's homes in England, covering family and friend contact, private phone calls, post,...
Official sources
The content on this page is based on the official sources below. Always consult the current versions as the authoritative reference.
The Children's Homes (England) Regulations 2015 (SI 2015/541)
www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2015/541/contentsGuide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards (DfE)
www.gov.uk/government/publications/childrens-homes-regulations-including-quality-standardsWorking Together to Safeguard Children 2026 (DfE)
www.gov.uk/government/publications/working-together-to-safeguard-children