The use of settings, which provide accommodation and limited or no support for children in care, was banned for under-16s earlier this year.
A consultation over the regulation of them for over-16s was launched in May sparking controversy among campaigners who are calling for young people to receive mandatory care to the age of 18.
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A response to the public consultation on the national standards, how Ofsted should regulate such provision and the differentiation between care and support reveals support for the introduction of national standards and the mandatory registration of settings with the inspectorate from care-experienced young people, sector leaders and social care professionals.
A copy of the national standards will be published in early 2022 with the sector able to share their views on them, the consultation response states.
Settings that provide support for 16- and 17-year-olds along with care leavers aged up to 25 must register with Ofsted from April 2023, with standards coming into force in autumn 2023, it adds.
The first full inspections are expected to begin from April 2024.
Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi wrote in his foreword to the report that Ofsted will not take a “light touch” approach to inspections, adding: “I am absolutely clear that Ofsted will be given the tools needed to take action against any low-quality, rogue or unscrupulous actors that are found to be operating.
“Poor-quality provision must and will be stamped out. We will only ever accept good providers who offer accommodation and support at the required standard, and I am confident that Ofsted, with all of their expertise in regulating children’s social care, are the best possible organisation to undertake this task.”
Settings will be inspected at “provider level”, in a similar way to children’s home providers and foster agencies, the document notes, with inspectors visiting a “sample” of accommodation provided for young people.
It adds that the provision of “care” and “support” will be differentiated based on which framework settings adhere to.
“Residential settings that deliver care and accommodation wholly or mainly for children must register as a children’s home. For those settings which are delivering support, as opposed to care, providers will need to engage with the new mandatory national standards and register with Ofsted,” it states.
Young people aged 16 and 17 will also be able to live with care leavers aged up to 25 under the new rules, the Department for Education says, adding: “We have no intention of banning the mixing of different age groups within supported accommodation. It will, however, be clear within national standards that providers must consider the relevant age groups and matching issues of individuals to mitigate risks before a young person is admitted or placed in these settings.”
DfE has set out plans to invest £142m over the next three years to support local authorities, providers and Ofsted to deliver reforms which ban the use of terms including “unregulated”, “independent” and “semi-independent” settings.
Such provision will now be known as supported accommodation for young people.
Ofsted will receive £17.5m as part of the fund to create a new framework while £1.2m will be used to fund a market awareness campaign.
Zahawi said: “I know that the implementation of these reforms will not be without its challenges. However, it is clear to me from the consultation that the sector is eager and willing to work with us to implement a system that works for everyone, and truly delivers for young people.
"I am committed to working collaboratively with the sector to ensure that we seize this exciting opportunity to implement a system which not only guarantees high-quality accommodation for young people, but which also ensures that providers are able to tailor and adapt the support provided to each young person."
