PART 5Policies, records, complaints and notifications
Notification of a serious event40.
(1)
If a child dies, the registered person must without delay notify—
(a)
HMCI;
(b)
the placing authority;
(c)
the Secretary of State (if the Secretary of State is not the placing authority);
(d)
the local authority in whose area the children's home is located (if that local authority is not the placing authority);
(e)
the F1integrated care board (established under Chapter A3 of Part 2 of the National Health Service Act 2006) for the area in which the home is located;
(f)
if the child was accommodated in a secure children's home, the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman for England and Wales (“the PPO”); and
(g)
each other relevant person.
(2)
If a child accommodated in a secure children's home dies, the registered person must allow the PPO to investigate the death by—
(a)
granting the PPO access to—
(i)
the premises of the home; and
(ii)
the home's documents and records;
(b)
allowing the PPO to take away from the premises, securely, copies of any documents or records provided under sub-paragraph (a)(ii); and
(c)
if they consent, allowing the PPO to interview in private any children, parents or relatives, or persons working at the home.
(3)
If there is a referral of a person working in the home pursuant to section 35 (Regulated activity providers: duty to refer) of the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 M1, the registered person must without delay notify—
(a)
HMCI;
(b)
the placing authority; and
(c)
each other relevant person.
(4)
The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—
(a)
a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation;
(b)
an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;
(c)
there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there;
(d)
a child protection enquiry involving a child —
(i)
is instigated; or
(ii)
concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or
(e)
there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious.
(5)
A notification made under this regulation—
(a)
must include details of—
(i)
the matter;
(ii)
the other persons, bodies or organisations (if any) who or which have been notified; and
(iii)
any actions taken by the registered person as a result of the matter;
(b)
must be made or confirmed in writing.
(6)
In this regulation, references to the PPO include a person appointed by, or working on behalf of, the PPO for the purposes of an investigation under paragraph (2).