Regulation 32 and the young person's voice
Monthly visits, written records, and the difference between process and genuine participation.
ElmSync Editorial · 5 min
Regulation 32 of the Children's Homes (England) Regulations 2015 requires the registered manager to visit every young person in the home at least once a month to ascertain their wishes and feelings. The visit must be recorded.
This is one of the most frequently misunderstood requirements in children's residential care. The confusion is almost always about purpose.
The visit is not a welfare check
A welfare check is about safety. Regulation 32 is about voice. These are different things. A welfare check can be done by observation. Regulation 32 requires a conversation.
The young person must have the opportunity to say what they think about their care, their placement, and their day-to-day experience. They must feel that what they say is taken seriously. The record of that conversation must reflect what was actually said, not a sanitised version of it.
What the record needs to show
The record should show that the conversation happened, what was discussed, what the young person said, and what, if anything, is being done in response. A record that says "young person appears settled and happy" has not evidenced a Regulation 32 visit. It has evidenced an observation.
Why this matters to Ofsted
At inspection, the Regulation 32 records are read against the young person's experience as described in any conversation an inspector has with the young person directly. When the two accounts differ significantly, it raises questions about the quality of the management oversight and the degree to which young people's voices are genuinely influencing their care.