The watchdog has struggled to recruit social care inspectors to fill posts created by a restructure that put more emphasis on social care.
Ofsted is now "investigating" using social workers or local authority social care managers on secondment to carry out inspections, a spokeswoman for the watchdog confirmed. She added that any new social care inspectors would have to have a social care qualification as well as experience.
Jon Richards, Unison senior national officer for Ofsted, said the inspectorate's plans are a "double-edged sword". He said: "On the one hand, they shouldn't be taking people from the frontline when there is a shortage of social workers. However, how are Ofsted going to understand what's happening on the frontline if they don't employ experienced professionals?"
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