Residential Accommodation for 16-18 year olds: National Minimum Standards

Overview

We are proposing revisions to the national minimum standards for residential accommodation for 16-18 year olds in the FE sector to bring them up-to-date. 

Ofsted inspects against these standards, and they may be used by providers to assess their own services, to train staff, and as a guide for parents and students.

The standards apply to any further education colleges, sixth form colleges, FE designated institutions, and 16-19 academies, which provide residential accommodation for students aged under eighteen, and to those residential specialist colleges required to comply by conditions of funding imposed by the Secretary of State.

Why your views matter

This consultation seeks your views on updated national minimum standards for residential accommodation in FE colleges, sixth form colleges, designated institutions and 16-19 academies. These standards are published by the Secretary of State under section 87C of the Children Act 1989 and are relevant to the duty to safeguard and promote the well-being of children accommodated at these types of institutions.

Ofsted inspects against these standards in order to decide whether the corporation, governing body or proprietor of the institution is complying with the duty to safeguard and promote the well-being of such children (under section 87(1) of the Children Act 1989), and they may also be used for self-assessment and staff training..

We would like to hear your views on our proposals.

Click here to download the consultation document.

What happens next

We will carefully consider all responses received, then issue a report on the consultation and communicate the decisions on the next steps.