Children's care homes in England are inspected and regulated by theCommission for Social Care Inspection, which assesses them against theChildren's Homes Regulations 2002 and the National MinimumStandards.
Support given to young people has to meet these standards and includeshaving a key worker. In England there are more private care homes thanthe other UK nations, with fewer public and voluntary homes.
Children living in residential care now account for only 11 per cent ofchildren in public care; foster placements are the most common, with41,700 children in foster care in March 2005 (Department for Educationand Skills 2005).
SCOTLAND
In Scotland, children's care homes are regulated by the ScottishCommission for the Regulation of Care and all must abide by a set ofNational Care Standards.
The standards follow the principles of dignity, privacy, choice, safety,realising potential, equality and diversity.
There has been an increase in the number of residential children's carehomes in Scotland during the last decade to more than 200, but there isstill a mixture of private, public and voluntary homes.
Nearly all local authorities in Scotland own at least one children'shome and there is a small number of private providers. Many looked-afterchildren in Scotland live in a voluntary sector residential school.
WALES
Welsh care homes are regulated and inspected by the Care Standard'sInspectorate. The inspectorate's role includes registration, inspection,complaints and enforcement of standards.
The framework that shapes residential care in Wales is very similar tothat in England, with the Children First programme a major part ofattempts to improve outcomes.
There are a reasonable number of small care homes, with some localauthority and voluntary sector owned. Wales, along with England, has farmore privately owned care homes than the other two nations.
Policy decisions are made by the Health and Social Care Department ofthe National Assembly for Wales.
NORTHERN IRELAND
Northern Ireland's care homes are regulated and inspected by theDepartment of Health, Social Services and Public Safety (DHSSPS).
The DHSSPS has four regulations and strategies that influence children'sresidential care: the Children (NI) Order 1995; Children Matter (SocialServices Inspectorate 1998); the Regional Strategies for ResidentialCare for 1987-92; and for 1992-97.
There is a high rate of children and young people in residential care inNorthern Ireland compared to England.
Any policy decisions concerning residential children's homes also comedown to the DHSSPS.
