Report a serious incident in a supported accommodation service
Tell Ofsted about a serious incident in a supported accommodation service.
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 an update.
What incidents to report
Supported accommodation services must report the following incidents (sometimes called incident ‘notifications’ or ‘events’) to Ofsted:
- if a child dies
- a referral about a staff member under section 35 of the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006
- a child is involved in or subject to or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation or child criminal exploitation
- an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child and you consider that incident to be serious
- an allegation of abuse against your service or a member of staff
- if a child protection enquiry is instigated or concludes
- an incident involving the use of a measure of restraint on a child
- there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious
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
Only registered providers are required to submit notifications. This form should not be submitted unless you have received a certificate that confirms your registration.
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 details and the details for your service and relevant members of staff
- when and where the incident happened
- details of any child 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 child receiving supported accommodation
You must use the serious incident reporting form to report the death of a child to Ofsted without delay.
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 death, including the date of diagnosis or time of the incident that led to death (if known)
- any treatment the child has received and details of the hospital the child has been admitted to (if any)
- actions taken by staff and managers at the time
Safeguarding referrals
Supported accommodation services must tell Ofsted if they have reported someone under the S.35 in the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006.
Use the serious incident reporting form if someone working for your service has been referred to the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) as unfit to work with children or vulnerable adults.
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
Known or suspected sexual or child criminal exploitation
Supported accommodation services must use the serious incident reporting form to tell us if they know or suspect that a child has been involved in, or subject to, sexual or criminal exploitation.
Telling Ofsted about known or suspected sexual or child 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 the child has been sexually or criminally exploited
- actions taken by staff and managers at the time and planned prevention measures
Report known or suspected sexual or criminal exploitation
Police involvement
Supported accommodation services should tell Ofsted if the police are involved in an incident with a child in your service, and the registered person considers that incident to be serious.
You do not need to send a serious incident report just because you are in contact with the police about an incident or child in your service.
Telling Ofsted about police involvement
The reporting form will ask you to provide details of the incident. You should include:
- a brief summary of the incident
- the outcome of any police investigations
- the actions taken by staff and managers at the time and planned prevention measures
Allegations of abuse
Supported accommodation services must use the reporting form if any allegation of abuse is made against your service or a member of your staff.
Telling Ofsted about allegations of the abuse
The reporting form will ask you to provide details of the incident. You should include:
- a summary of the allegation
- 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
You must send one serious incident report when a child protection enquiry has started (‘instigated’) and another report when it has 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 known)
- a manager’s evaluation of the incident and actions taken
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
Child restraint
Supported accommodation services need to report if you have used a measure of restraint on a child in your service.
Telling Ofsted about child restraint
The reporting form will ask you to provide details of the incident. You should include:
- a summary of the incident, including the time, date and location of the restraint
- why the restraint took place
- what restraint was used, how the restraint was carried out, who carried it and how long it was used for
- how you tried to prevent the use of restraint
- the details of injury to anyone
- the details of any child involved in the incident and the initials of all staff involved
- actions taken by staff and managers at the time, and planned prevention measures
- a summary of the incident, how it was handled and an assessment taken after a restraint incident
Report the use of child restraint
Reporting other serious incidents
If any other incident takes place that the registered person believes is serious, you should use the serious incident reporting form.
An event is serious if it has a significant and direct adverse impact on the protection, safeguarding or welfare of children or adults, or involves significant damage to property.
Examples of incidents that could be considered serious include:
- a child being the victim or perpetrator of a serious assault
- a serious illness or accident
- a serious incident of self-harm
- serious complaints about your service
- a child or adult who is missing and you have concerns over their behaviour, particularly if they are considered at risk due to age or vulnerability, or if they have been missing for a considerable period of time and you don’t know where they are
This list does not cover everything. Registered persons must assess each case individually, taking into account any patterns of behaviour or unusual behaviour which could indicate an increased risk to the young person.
Some incidents in isolation may not be considered serious, however, if an incident happens repeatedly, registered persons should consider sending a report.
On the form, select the option “Other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious”.