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Introduction The Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations including the Quality Standards was published by the Department for Education to accompany the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015. The guide provides detailed explanations of the regulations and sets out how children’s homes should interpret and apply them in practice. Its purpose is to support providers, managers and staff to deliver high-quality care and positive outcomes for children and young people living in residential settings. The guide recognises that children living in residential care are often among the most vulnerable in society and may have experienced significant adversity, trauma, neglect or abuse. It emphasises that every child should receive the right placement at the right time and that residential care should be a positive and beneficial experience that helps children to develop, thrive and achieve their potential. Context The guide sits within a wider regulatory framework established by the...

Prefer a printable version? Click here to download this briefing as a PDF for easy circulation and distribution. For early years settings: Click here to view an early years-focused overview of the guidance changes. Introduction Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) 2026 is the Department for Education's statutory safeguarding guidance for schools and colleges in England. It sets out the legal duties and expectations that education settings must follow to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people under the age of 18. The guidance applies to all schools and colleges, including maintained schools, academies, independent schools, alternative provision settings and further education providers. It is relevant to governors, trustees, proprietors, senior leaders, designated safeguarding leads (DSLs), teachers, support staff and volunteers. Safeguarding remains everyone's responsibility and KCSIE continues to promote a whole-school approach to keeping childre...