Report a serious incident in a residential family centre
Tell Ofsted about a serious incident in a residential family centre.
Applies to England
Do not use the serious incident form to send updates about an incident you have already reported. Read our guidance on when you should submit a report.
What incidents to report
Residential family centres must report the following incidents (sometimes called incident ‘notifications’ or ‘events’) to Ofsted:
- the death of a resident accommodated in the centre
- someone working at the centre has been referred to the Secretary of State under the Protection of Children Act 1999
- a resident has a serious illness or accident
- an infectious disease at the centre that a registered medical practitioner considers serious enough to report to their local council or local health protection team
- any involvement, or suspected involvement, in sexual exploitation of any resident under the age of 18
- any serious incident that requires calling the police to the centre
- a serious complaint about the centre or people working there
- a child protection enquiry involving a resident that has started or finished
Your Ofsted record will automatically update when you submit your report.
When you must report an incident
You should report the death of a child immediately.
All other incident reports should be made without delay and, where possible, within 24 hours. In situations where you need to gather further information, we recognise this may take more than 24 hours.
Report an incident
The serious incident reporting form will ask you for the following information:
- your unique reference number (URN) (you can find your URN on your registration, your inspection reports and on your Ofsted reports page)
- the type of incident
- your contact details and the details for your service and relevant members of staff
- when and where the incident happened
- details of any child and parent involved, and the initials of all staff involved
- the registered person’s evaluation of the incident and actions taken
- if you have informed any other relevant people or organisations such as the Secretary of State, the placing authority or relevant local authority
To alert Ofsted in urgent situations, particularly if there is a lot of press interest, call 0300 123 1231.
Report an incident in a different children’s social care service
Death of a resident
You must use the serious incident reporting form to report the death of a resident accommodated at the centre without delay.
The reporting form will ask you to provide details of the incident. You should include:
- a brief summary of the incident
- the cause of death, including the date of diagnosis or time of the incident that led to death (if known)
- any treatment the child or parent has received and details of the hospital they have been admitted to (if any)
- actions taken by staff and managers at the time
Report the death of a resident
Safeguarding referrals
You can use the serious incident reporting form if you have reported someone to the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) as unfit to work with children or vulnerable adults.
The legislation for residential family centres has not been updated to reflect the changes to the Protection of Children Act 1999, however, residential family centres can report if someone working there has been referred to the Secretary of State under the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006.
Telling Ofsted about safeguarding referrals
The reporting form will ask you to provide details of the incident. You should include:
- a brief summary of the incident
- the date of referral
- the role of the person referred
- the reason for referral
- the date and reference number of any previous notification to Ofsted relating to this person
- actions taken by staff and managers at the time and planned prevention measures
Report a safeguarding referral
Serious illness, serious accident or serious infectious disease
Residential family centres need to report serious illness or injury to any resident accommodated in the centre.
A serious illness or injury usually means that a child needs medical treatment (other than basic first aid) onsite or in a hospital.
Do not send a serious incident report to Ofsted:
- for minor injuries or illnesses that require no treatment or only basic first aid onsite
- if a child or parent is taken to hospital but they do not receive any treatment there
Infectious disease
If a registered practitioner reports an infectious disease in a residential family centre to the local council or health protection team, you must report this as a serious incident.
Telling Ofsted about serious illness, accident and injury or infectious disease
The reporting form will ask you to provide details of the incident. You should include:
- a brief summary of the incident (if known)
- the cause of illness, injury or infectious disease. Include the date of diagnosis or time of the incident that led to injury or illness (if known)
- any treatment the child or parent has received and details of the hospital they have been admitted to (if any)
- in the case of injury, you should say what planned prevention measures you will put in place
- actions taken by staff and managers at the time
Report serious illness, serious accident or serious infectious disease
Known or suspected sexual exploitation
Residential family centres must use the serious incident reporting form to tell Ofsted if you know, or suspect, that a child has been involved in, or subject to, sexual exploitation This is referred to as ‘prostitution’ in the legislation for residential family centres.
You must also report if a parent who is under the age of 18 and accommodated in the centre is known, or suspected to be, involved in sexual exploitation.
Telling Ofsted about known or suspected sexual exploitation
The reporting form will ask you to provide details of the incident. You should include:
- a brief summary of the incident or incidents
- the reasons that have led you to believe that a child or parent under the age of 18 has been sexually exploited
- actions taken by staff and managers at the time and planned prevention measures
Report known or suspected sexual exploitation
Serious incident that requires calling the police to a centre
Residential family centres should use the serious incident reporting form to tell Ofsted if a serious incident requires calling the police to the centre.
You should only report this if the police need to attend the centre for a serious incident. You do not need to send a serious incident report just because you are in contact with the police about an incident.
Telling Ofsted about the police being called to the centre
The reporting form will ask you to provide details of the incident. You should include:
- a brief summary of the incident (if known)
- the outcome of any police actions or investigations
- the actions taken by staff and managers at the time and planned prevention measures
Allegations of abuse or complaints
Residential family centres must use the reporting form if any allegation of abuse or serious complaint is made against your service or a member of staff.
Telling Ofsted about allegations of abuse or complaints
The reporting form will ask you to provide details of the incident. You should include:
- a summary of the allegation or complaint
- actions taken by staff and managers at the time and planned prevention measures
Report an allegation of abuse or a complaint
Start or conclusion of a child protection enquiry
Residential family centres for disabled children must send on serious incident report when a child protection enquiry (involving any resident child or parent under 18) has started (‘instigated’) or finished (‘concluded’).
Do not use the reporting form to send any other updates about an enquiry to Ofsted, you only need to report the start and conclusion. If you have already reported a child protection enquiry but you want to provide an update, you can do this by sending an email to your allocated inspector.
Telling Ofsted about the start or conclusion of a child protection enquiry
The reporting form will ask you to provide details of the incident. You should include:
- a brief summary of the event that led to the start of the enquiry, including the date and time
- the actions taken by staff and managers at the time and planned prevention measures
If you’re reporting that an enquiry has finished, you need to include:
- the date that you reported the start of the enquiry
- the outcome of the enquiry
- your notification reference number
- actions taken by staff and managers in response to the enquiry
Report the start or conclusion of a child protection enquiry