KQ7 care homes and schoolcare accomm_Page_01
Author Care Inspectorate
Date 05/03/2024
Resource Type Self Evaluation Tools

Key question 7 for care homes for children and young people and schoolcare accommodation (special residential schools)

Our children and young people’s inspection teams began using key question 7 in April 2022. As part of everyone's journey to meet the Promise, we reviewed key question 7 with inspectors, young people who experience or have experienced care and providers to evaluate the impact it was having and how well it was supporting the sector to self-evaluate its own performance. We have made some changes as a result of this review and agreed that we will continue to use key question 7 for inspections from April 2024 onwards.

QI 7.1: Children and young people are safe, feel loved and get the most out of life

National Guidance for Child Protection in Scotland 2021 - updated 2023

The Health and Social Care Standards

Information from the Scottish Human Rights Commission

The Independent Care Review

Rights, Risks and Limits to Freedom

Practice Guide: Involving Children and Young People in Improving Services (Care Inspectorate)

Guidance for care providers in Scotland using CCTV

7 Golden Rules for Participation and other rights information (Children and Young People’s Commissioner Scotland)

9 basic requirements for children’s participation (Save the Children)

National Trauma Transformation Programme

Rights: Information for Young People looked after away from Home (Scottish Children’s Rights Officers Network)

Who Cares Scotland website

Practice Guide: supporting professionals to meet the needs of young people with learning disabilities who experience, or are at risk of, child sexual exploitation

National Guidance for Child Protection in Scotland 2021 - updated 2023

National Missing Persons Framework for Scotland (Scottish Government)

Child Sexual Exploitation: Definition and Practitioner Briefing Paper (Scottish Government)

On Risk (IRISS)

A Guide to Youth Justice in Scotland: Policy, Practice and Legislation: Section 3: Theory and Methods (CYCJ)

Responding to Offending in Residential Childcare – Next Steps (CYCJ)

Guidance on Health Assessments for Looked After Children and Young People in Scotland (Scottish Government)

Practice Guide: Suicide Prevention for Looked After Children and Young People (Care Inspectorate)

Guidance on personal plans - Children and Young People

Managing Medicines in Care Homes (NICE)

Prompting, assisting and administration of medication in a care setting: guidance for professionals

Safe Administration of Medication: Modules 1-3 (SSSC)

Children and Young People (Scotland) Act (2014): Guidance on Part 10: Aftercare (Scottish Government)

Animal Magic: The benefits of being around and caring for animals across care settings (Care Inspectorate)

A health resource pack for staff and care Insights: Children, Food and Care (IRISS)

Health Promotion Guidance: Nutritional Guidance for Children and Young People in Residential Care Settings (Scottish Government)

Creating a Tobacco Free Culture (Care Inspectorate and ASH Scotland)

Food Practices in Residential Children's Homes: The Views and Experiences of Staff and Children: A Resource Handbook for Reflection

Holding Safely: A Guide for Residential Child Care Practitioners and Managers about Restraining Children and Young People (SIRCC)

Insights: Trauma Sensitive Practice with Children in Care (IRISS)

Insights: Attachment-informed Practice with Looked after Children and Young People (IRISS)

Insights: Supporting Positive Relationships for Children and Young People who have Experience of Care (IRISS)

Children and Young People (Scotland) Act (2014): Guidance on Part 11: Continuing Care (Scottish Government)

Children and Young People (Scotland) Act (2014): Guidance on Part 10: Aftercare (Scottish Government)

The Scottish Care Leavers Covenant

Continuing Care and Co: Conversation Openers

Staying put Scotland: providing care leavers with connectedness and belonging

The Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014: Part 11

Practice Guide to Chronologies (Care Inspectorate)

Principles of Good Transitions 3 (Scottish Transitions Forum), including the autism and life shortening conditions supplements

An Independent Guide to Quality Care for Autistic People (National Autistic Taskforce)

Care Homes for Children and Young People – The Design Guide

Guidance for care providers in Scotland using CCTV (closed circuit television) in their services (Care Inspectorate)

Playing it Safe SCCYP

Designing with Care Interior Design and Residential Child Care

Learning Disabilities and Behaviour that Challenges: Service Design and Delivery (NICE)

Throughcare and Aftercare Services in Scotland’s Local Authorities: A National Study

The Support and Assistance of Young People Leaving Care (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2015

Keys to Life (Scottish Government)

Children and Young People (Scotland) Act (2014): Guidance on Part 10: Aftercare (Scottish Government)

Understanding Personal Outcomes (SSSC)

A Guide to Youth Justice in Scotland: Policy, Practice and Legislation (Section 3: Theory and Methods) (CYCJ)

My Anticipatory Care Plan (Healthcare Improvement Scotland)

Parental rights and responsibilities under Children (Scotland) Act 1995

Guidance on Looked After Children placed in Residential Establishments – Looked After and Accommodated Children (Scotland) Regulations 2009, Part 9, regs 34 & 35

Guidance for children and young people’s services on the inclusion of transgender including non-binary young people

Guidance for services on the provision of continuing care

Position paper - Depriving and restricting liberty for children and young people in care home, school care and secure accommodation services

Guidance for providers on the assessment of staffing levels in: premises-based care services

Bairns’ Hoose Final Standards

Food fortification for vegans

QI 7.2: Leaders and staff have the capacity and resources to meet and champion children and young people’s needs and rights

Leading for Outcomes: Children and Young People (IRISS)

Matching Looked After Children and Young People: Admissions Guidance for Residential Services 2022 (Care Inspectorate)

Staying together and connected: getting it right for sisters and brothers: national practice guidance

Guidance for providers of care homes for children and young people on the emergency relaxation of conditions of numbers

Report on distance placements

Further information, advice and evidence on personal outcomes approaches can be found at

Notifications about Controlled Drugs: Guidance for Providers (Care Inspectorate)

Leading for Outcomes (IRISS)

Step into Leadership (SSSC)

Insights: Achieving Effective Supervision (IRISS)

Supervision learning resource (SSSC)

The Model for Improvement and associated resources (Care Inspectorate)

Organisational Duty of Candour (Scottish Government)

National Occupational Standards (NOS)

National Guidance for the External Management of Residential Child Care Establishments in Scotland (Scottish Government)

Information Commissioner’s advice on data protection, including GDPR

The National Health and Social Care Workforce Plan

The Code: Professional Standards of Practice and Behaviour for Nurses, Midwives and Nursing Associates (NMC)

The Standard for Full Registration Mandatory Requirements for Registration with the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS)

Information about health and safety at work

Public Services Reform (Scotland) Act 2010, asp 8

Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014, asp 8

The Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland (Requirements for Care Services) Regulations 2011, SSI 2011/210

Self-evaluation for improvement: Your guide

Text to complain service for children and young people

Records that all registered children and young people’s care services must keep and guidance on notification reporting

Scotland Works for You (Scotland Works for You)