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Guidance

Social care common inspection framework (SCCIF): voluntary adoption agencies

Guidance on how Ofsted inspects voluntary adoption agencies.

Updates to this page

From:
Ofsted
Published:
22 February 2017
Last updated:
1 April 2026
Show all updates

  1. Revised section on 'Evaluating the experiences and progress of children'.

  2. Minor revisions to terminology in the evaluation criteria and on-site inspection sections referencing adopters. For use on inspections from 1 September 2025.

  3. We have clarified the list of the provider types that the SCCIF applies to, adding ‘Supported accommodation for looked-after children and care leavers aged 16 and 17’ in the Introduction section. We have also clarified the content of the inspection report in The inspection report section. In response to the Big Listen, we have clarified the focus and principles of inspection to promote permanence and belonging.

  4. We have clarified the process to raise concerns or complaints during and after an inspection. In the ‘Start of the inspection’ section, we have clarified how the provider can request any adaptations to the inspection process due to a protected characteristic, or any reasonable adjustments due to a disability. We have made minor changes to the evaluation criteria and on-site inspection sections to reference non-speaking children.

  5. This framework has been updated to clarify that, when applying the framework, inspectors will take appropriate action to comply with Ofsted’s Equality Act duties, clarification on the opportunities for providers to discuss and/or provide information on potential equalities duties, including reasonable adjustments for individuals, clarification regarding Ofsted’s updated arrangements for publishing the report, quality assurance and handling concerns and complaints in line with Ofsted’s new complaints process in the timeframe sections, references to Ofsted’s pausing process, minor revisions to the evaluation criteria re children’s health needs, additional guidance for SCCIF inspections where local authorities have an alternative delivery model in operation, and a regional adoption agency, updated guidance on monitoring visits, and updated section on reporting concerns about the administration and management of controlled drugs.

  6. Additional guidance on deferring an inspection, inspector conduct during inspections, when and how the provider can raise issues, concerns or complaints during and after the inspection, supporting the well-being of the provider’s managers and staff during inspections and visits, attendance at keeping in touch meetings, discussions with staff and feedback meetings and who the provider may share provisional and final inspection outcomes with.

  7. Minor amends to the guidance on case tracking to make it consistent with the adoption support agencies and independent fostering agencies SCCIF guidance. Guidance also added to the ‘Inadequate judgements: next steps’ section on feeding back to local authorities.

  8. Updated the guidance for inspectors on recording evidence in the inspection database.

  9. Minor edits for clarity in the 'Timeframe' and 'Monitoring visit' sections. Revised text referencing the updated 'Ofsted code of conduct' policy.

  10. Added updated SCCIF for April 2022: additional guidance for when inspectors discover possible unregistered provision.

  11. Updated guidance on the scheduling of inspections of agencies previously judged inadequate or requires improvement to be good, to make this consistent with our guidance on all adoption and fostering agency inspections.

  12. Added guidance on inspecting voluntary adoption agencies during COVID-19 restrictions. Updated guidance to reflect the changes to Ofsted’s post-inspection processes and complaints handling (including the timeline) that we introduced in September 2020. Updated the 'Frequency of inspection' section to include a rolling 3-year inspection programme. Minor edits for readability.

  13. First published.

Applies to England

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Social care common inspection framework (SCCIF): voluntary adoption agencies

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This framework sets out Ofsted’s process for inspecting voluntary adoption agencies.

Our approach is underpinned by the following 3 principles that apply to all social care inspections:

  • to focus on the things that matter most to children’s lives
  • to be consistent in our expectations of providers
  • to prioritise our work where improvement is needed most

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