Form

Ofsted fostering dataset returns: changes for 2024-25 onwards

Updated 22 November 2024

Applies to England

Introduction to changes

This page confirms the changes that we will make to the data collection template and the portal for 2024–25. The data we are collecting relates to the financial year 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025.

This includes important changes to the way we collect data about protected and personal characteristics, and initial enquiries, compared with last year, 2023–24.

Confirmed changes for 2024–25

We will expand the data to include more protected and personal characteristics: sexual orientation, gender identity, religion and relationship status. We will collect this data at aggregate rather than carer level, to allow for personal anonymity. Data on ethnicity and disability will move to aggregate level, instead of the existing carer level. We will collect the data for approved carers as at 31 March only. You will not need to provide this data for prospective carers and deregistered carers.

The aggregate protected and personal characteristics section will be optional on an ongoing basis. The available categories will be:

• Sexual orientation (6 categories)
  • Straight or heterosexual
  • Gay or lesbian
  • Bisexual
  • All other sexual orientations
  • Refused/preferred not to say
  • Unknown/not collected
• Gender identity (7 categories)
  • Gender identity the same as sex registered at birth
  • Gender identity different from sex registered at birth but no specific identity given
  • Trans woman
  • Trans man
  • All other gender identities 
  • Refused/preferred not to say
  • Unknown/not collected
• Sex (2 categories)
  • Male
  • Female
• Religion (10 categories)
  • No religion
  • Christian
  • Buddhist
  • Hindu
  • Jewish
  • Muslim
  • Sikh
  • Other religion
  • Refused/preferred not to say
  • Unknown/not collected
• Marital and civil partnership status (5 categories)
  • Never married and never registered a civil partnership
  • Married or in a registered civil partnership
  • Separated, but still legally married or still legally in a civil partnership
  • Divorced or civil partnership dissolved
  • Widowed or surviving civil partnership partner
• Ethnicity (21 categories)
  • Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh: Bangladeshi
  • Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh: Chinese
  • Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh: Indian
  • Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh: Pakistani
  • Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh: Other Asian
  • Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African: African
  • Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African: Caribbean
  • Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African: Other Black
  • Mixed or multiple ethnic groups: White and Asian
  • Mixed or multiple ethnic groups: White and Black African
  • Mixed or multiple ethnic groups: White and Black Caribbean
  • Mixed or multiple ethnic groups: Other Mixed or multiple ethnic groups
  • White: English, Welsh, Scottish, Northern Irish or British
  • White: Irish
  • White: Gypsy or Irish Traveller
  • White: Roma
  • White: Other White
  • Other ethnic group: Arab
  • Other ethnic group: Any other ethnic group
  • Refused/ preferred not to say
  • Unknown/not collected
• Disability (4 categories)
  • Disabled under the Equality Act
  • Not disabled under the Equality Act
  • Refused/preferred not to say
  • Unknown/not collected

We will amend the response codes for the existing question ‘Reason for deregistration’ (F2). ‘Initiated by foster carer’ (DER3) will no longer be available. We will replace DER3 with more specific reasons, as follows:

• Carer retirement (DER7)
• Personal carer circumstances (DER8)
• Carer ceased fostering (DER9)

Fostering hubs in the local authority sector can submit data on initial enquiries as part of the fostering data collection for the financial year from 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025. The lead local authority of the hub is responsible for submitting the total number of initial enquiries for the entire hub. Other local authorities in the hub should record zero. If a hub begins part-way through the reporting year, the lead local authority must report data for the full year. It should gather and aggregate this information from each agency within the hub.

Large providers of independent fostering agencies (IFAs) are also eligible to submit national-level data on initial enquiries. The lead IFA may submit data on behalf of others in the hierarchy, if it is collated centrally.

We will continue to collect the data under the existing question ‘How many initial enquiries did you receive?’ on the ‘Other Data’ tab. Hubs may use the comments box to list the local authorities or agencies within the hub or organisation.

All hub partners and agencies should agree on the reporting arrangements. If they do not reach agreement, then each local authority or IFA will remain responsible for reporting their individual initial enquiries numbers.

Proposed changes for 2025–26 onwards

There are no proposed changes to the data collection for 2025–26.

Please contact socialcaredata@ofsted.gov.uk if you have any queries or suggestions about the fostering dataset return.