Regulation 45 of the Children's Homes (England) Regulations 2015 requires the registered person of a children's residential home to conduct — or commission — a review of the quality of care provided in the home at least once every six months. The resulting written report must be submitted to Ofsted and to the placing authorities of all children currently in placement within 28 days of the review being completed.
The Regulation 45 review is one of the most important quality oversight mechanisms in children's residential care. It is the registered person's formal assessment of whether their home is delivering good care — and Ofsted treat it as a direct measure of the quality of leadership and management.
The legal basis
Regulation 45 sits within the Children's Homes (England) Regulations 2015, which came into force on 1 April 2015 (replacing the Children's Homes Regulations 2001). It must be read alongside the nine Quality Standards set out in Regulations 5 to 14 of the same legislation.
The Quality Standard most directly linked to Regulation 45 is Standard 6: Leadership and Management (Regulation 13), which requires the registered person to have effective oversight of the home's quality of care. The Regulation 45 review is the primary mechanism through which this oversight is formally evidenced.
Who must complete the Regulation 45 review?
The legal obligation sits with the registered person — in most homes, the responsible individual (RI). The RI may conduct the review personally or commission a suitably qualified person to do it on their behalf. However, the registered person remains responsible for the content and submission of the report, and must sign it.
Where an RI oversees more than one registered home, a separate Regulation 45 report is required for each home.
In smaller organisations where the registered manager is also the registered person, the manager would complete the review. Ofsted are aware this creates a degree of self-assessment rather than independent oversight, and will factor this into how they assess the report.
What must the review cover?
The review must assess performance against all nine Quality Standards:
- Quality and Purpose of Care (Regulations 5 and 6)
- Children's Views, Wishes and Feelings (Regulation 7)
- Education (Regulation 8)
- Enjoyment and Achievement (Regulation 9)
- Health and Well-being (Regulation 10)
- Positive Relationships (Regulation 11)
- Protection of Children (Regulation 12)
- Leadership and Management (Regulation 13)
- Care Planning (Regulation 14)
The regulations do not require every element of every Quality Standard to be reviewed in equal depth at each six-monthly cycle. The registered person is expected to use professional judgement about which areas deserve the most attention in any given period — particularly where concerns have arisen, where Regulation 44 findings have been made, or where outcomes for children have been mixed.
In addition, the review must consider:
- Feedback from children, their parents or guardians, placing authorities, and staff
- Any recommendations made in the most recent Regulation 44 independent visitor report
The requirement to obtain and include meaningful feedback from multiple parties is frequently under-delivered. Children must be genuinely consulted — not handed a form. Placing authorities should be asked for their views in writing.
How often must it be completed, and when is the report due?
The review must be completed at least every six months. Many providers complete it on a January–June and July–December cycle, though the timing is at the provider's discretion as long as no gap between reviews exceeds six months.
The written report must be submitted to Ofsted and to all relevant placing authorities within 28 days of the review being completed. Missing this submission deadline is a regulatory breach, and Ofsted track submission dates as part of their ongoing monitoring of registered homes.
What form does the Regulation 45 report take?
There is no prescribed template. The regulations require a written report but do not specify its structure. In practice, the majority of providers follow a structure aligned to the nine Quality Standards, with a narrative section for each standard and an action plan at the end.
The report must be:
- In writing — a verbal review does not satisfy the requirement
- Signed by the registered person
- Submitted to Ofsted within 28 days of the review completion date
- Shared with placing authorities of all children in placement at the time of submission
The quality of the written document matters. Inspectors read Regulation 45 reports as a standard part of every inspection, and a poorly written, vague, or superficial report creates a negative first impression that shapes how they approach the rest of the visit.
What is the difference between Regulation 44 and Regulation 45?
Regulation 44 and Regulation 45 are related but serve distinct functions. They are frequently confused — even by experienced practitioners.
| | Regulation 44 | Regulation 45 | |---|---|---| | Who completes it | Independent visitor (external to the organisation) | Registered person (the RI or their nominee) | | Frequency | At least monthly | At least every six months | | Purpose | Independent monitoring visit | Quality of care review | | Submitted to | Registered person and Ofsted | Ofsted and all placing authorities |
Regulation 44 provides monthly, independent scrutiny from someone with no management relationship to the home. Regulation 45 is the registered person's own formal assessment of quality across a six-month period.
Critically, the Regulation 45 report must address the findings and recommendations from all Regulation 44 reports within the review period. A Reg 45 that makes no reference to Reg 44 findings will be treated as a leadership failure by inspectors — not an administrative oversight.
What does Ofsted look for in a Regulation 45 report?
Inspectors read the most recent Regulation 45 report as part of every inspection. They use it to:
- Assess the quality of the registered person's oversight — does the RI genuinely know what is happening in the home?
- Understand what the home has identified as its own strengths and weaknesses
- Check whether Regulation 44 recommendations have been addressed and closed
- Identify self-declared areas for improvement — and judge whether inspection findings match what the registered person claimed
- Form an initial view of leadership before meeting the registered manager and RI
A Regulation 45 that identifies no weaknesses, makes no reference to Regulation 44 findings, and contains no specific evidence will raise immediate concerns. Inspectors are experienced at distinguishing a report written to satisfy a process from one written by someone who genuinely understands — and is engaged with — what is happening in the home.
What happens if Regulation 45 is missed or submitted late?
Failing to complete a Regulation 45 review within the required six-month period, or failing to submit the report within 28 days of completion, is a regulatory breach. Ofsted may:
- Issue a compliance notice requiring immediate rectification
- Take the matter into account in the next inspection judgement
- In serious or persistent cases, refer the matter for further regulatory action
A single late submission is more likely to result in an Ofsted follow-up than immediate enforcement. However, a pattern of late, incomplete, or superficial submissions signals weak leadership oversight — and will directly influence inspection judgements under the SCCIF.
How CareClarity supports Regulation 45
CareClarity's Reg 45 Review tool gives registered managers and responsible individuals structured feedback on their draft Regulation 45 report before it reaches Ofsted. Upload your draft alongside the most recent Regulation 44 report, and CareClarity identifies where the evidence base is thin, whether Regulation 44 findings have been addressed, and where the language of the report may undermine its credibility.
Start your free 7-day trial and run your next Reg 45 through CareClarity before submission.