The Welsh Government is seeking your views on the regulation of special school residential services, as part of a 12-week public consultation. Our intention to regulate these services responds to the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse report. The report recommends all residential special schools be inspected against the quality standards for care homes in Wales. We have produced draft Regulations which define the scope of the service and place requirements on providers and responsible individuals of these services and supporting draft statutory guidance.

We are also seeking your views on three other areas relating to the regulation of social care services:

  • Draft Regulations which make it mandatory to include a service email address and telephone number on to the register of service providers;
  • Updates to the Statutory Guidance for care home services, domiciliary support services, secure accommodation services and residential family centre services;
  • Proposals to amend Regulations to address two issues within the regulatory framework. These relate to providers registering and reconfiguring 4-bedroom care homes (avoiding having to meet the additional environmental requirements, such as having en-suite facilities), and the regulation of local authority-run intermediate care services.

The consultation, and an easy read version, is available on the Welsh Government website here:  https://www.gov.wales/regulating-special-school-residential-services


The consultation opened today, 15 May, and will close at midnight on Sunday 6 August.