Quality Assurance Frameworks
Strong quality assurance systems are essential for children’s homes not only to meet regulatory expectations, but to ensure services remain safe, reflective, and sustainable over time.
This service provides robust quality assurance frameworks designed to help new providers monitor standards, evidence good practice, and continuously improve from the very beginning of operation. The focus is on building systems that are practical, proportionate, and aligned with how the home actually runs.
Rather than treating quality assurance as an afterthought or inspection requirement, this support helps embed it as part of everyday leadership and governance.
Quality assurance support for new registrations
For new children’s homes, quality assurance is often one of the least understood areas of compliance. Many providers are unsure what systems need to be in place before registration and how these should operate once the home opens.
Support for new registrations may include:
- Designing a clear quality assurance framework: Establishing how monitoring, auditing, and review will take place from day one, including roles and responsibilities.
- Regulation 44 and Regulation 45 preparation: Supporting understanding of independent visits, reporting expectations, and how these link to leadership oversight and improvement planning.
- Audit tools and monitoring systems: Developing practical audit templates and schedules that reflect your service model, staffing structure, and identified risks.
- Evidence mapping and improvement tracking: Helping you understand what evidence is required, where it should sit, and how actions and learning are recorded and reviewed over time.
- Linking quality assurance to practice: Ensuring audits and monitoring lead to meaningful reflection and improvement, rather than becoming a tick-box exercise.
How this support helps new providers
For newly registered homes, having quality assurance systems in place early helps to:
- Demonstrate strong governance and leadership to Ofsted
- Identify and address issues before they escalate
- Build confidence in inspection conversations
- Create a culture of reflection and learning
- Avoid reactive or rushed responses to scrutiny
Quality assurance is not about perfection — it is about awareness, accountability, and improvement.
A calm, proportionate approach
All quality assurance frameworks are developed in line with the Salima Care consultancy alignment method, ensuring that monitoring systems reflect the home’s vision, staffing, and everyday practice.
The aim is to support leaders to feel confident and in control of their service, rather than overwhelmed by compliance demands.