What children told Ofsted in 2026: listening has to change the record

The experience behind the compliance point

Ofsted’s 2026 findings cover children and young people living in children’s homes, supported accommodation and other social-care settings. The results include positive movement over time, but also show that children in homes can report difficulty getting on with staff and other children and may not always feel asked about things that matter to them.

Listening is more than a quotation

A direct quote is valuable, but it is only the beginning. A strong record should show what the young person said, how staff understood it, what decision was made, whether the young person was updated and whether the response made a difference.

Keep voice visible across the journey

Views can appear in key work, meetings, complaints, compliments, family contact, health appointments and reviews. Keeping those records connected helps managers see whether participation is occasional or genuinely shaping care.

A useful question for managers

When reviewing a child’s records, ask: where can I see the young person’s own view, what changed because of it and what remains unresolved? ResiNotes supports that review by keeping the source record visible while bringing related actions and follow-up into the same picture.

Participation is not complete when a view is captured. It is complete when the view is considered and acted on.

Read the source: GOV.UK: Children’s social care questionnaires 2026.