What does Ofsted evidence suggest about workforce development in children’s homes?
Download Midhurst Learning’s free research guide and practical value tools for children’s home providers reviewing training impact, staff capability and future development priorities.
Midhurst Learning has reviewed thousands of published Ofsted children’s home reports and analysed the evidence through a training and workforce development lens. The findings help providers reflect on leadership, safeguarding, supervision, recording, learning culture and how training translates into everyday practice.
Powerful analysis, turned into practical questions for your homes
The guide brings together the research findings and accompanying Workforce Development Value Tools. Together, they help you consider what the evidence may mean for your own homes, where training is already adding value, and where future development priorities may need further focus.
Research dataset based on published inspection evidence available up to January 2026, compiled and analysed through to June 2026, with findings made available from July 2026.
Training is only valuable when it shows up in practice.
Children’s home providers invest heavily in training, qualifications and CPD. The useful question is how that learning is translating into everyday practice, staff confidence, leadership oversight and the evidence inspectors expect to see in the home.
What the research helps you ask
What could the national evidence mean for your home, your staff capability, your current training and your future development priorities?
- Where is training clearly strengthening practice?
- Where might supervision, recording or safeguarding confidence need further support?
- How are managers evidencing the impact of learning?
What you receive
The download includes both the research-led guide and practical value tools to support internal reflection.
- Initial findings from the Ofsted evidence review
- Practical questions for training review meetings
- A printable value checker for leadership and quality discussions
- A priority next steps action plan
Viewed through a training and development lens.
The research looks at published inspection evidence and draws out themes linked to staff development, leadership practice, safeguarding confidence, supervision, recording, learning and children’s progress.
A practical resource for leadership, quality and training conversations.
Read the findings
Use the guide to understand the key workforce development signals emerging from the published inspection evidence.
Review your own priorities
Use the value tools to reflect on current strengths, training impact, supervision, recording and future development needs.
Plan the next discussion
Use the questions and action planning prompts in internal meetings, provider reviews or workforce development planning.
This is not about replacing what already works.
The purpose of the guide is to help providers reflect on where training, qualifications, supervision and CPD are already adding value, and where further support or focus may strengthen practice.
Useful whether you already have training in place
This can be useful whether learning is delivered internally, externally or through a blend of both. The aim is to use the research to identify what is working, where support may help and how future development could be tailored to your requirements.
Start with the research. Then review your training.
Download the free guide and Workforce Development Value Tools to explore what the findings may mean for your homes, your staff and your future training requirements.