Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the Care Quality Commission has any provision equivalent to Ofsted's special circumstances provision to enable continuity of placement for a young person transitioning to adulthood.

Young people aged under 18 years old may, in certain circumstances, be accommodated in services registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC). Whether registration with the CQC is appropriate depends on the facts of the individual case, the nature of the service being provided, and the relevant statutory and regulatory framework. Guidance is available to providers and local authorities on the respective regulatory responsibilities of Ofsted and the CQC, including the joint Ofsted and CQC guidance, Children's homes and health care: registration with Ofsted or the CQC, which sets out the circumstances in which services should be registered with Ofsted, the CQC, or both regulators.

The CQC does not have a published provision directly equivalent to Ofsted's special circumstances policy. The CQC regulates services under the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated regulations, within the wider framework for adult care and support established by the Care Act 2014. Registration requirements are determined by the nature of the service and whether regulated activities are being provided.

The Department of Health and Social Care is working with the Department for Education, Ofsted, and the CQC to explore how regulation can support and improve transitions into adult services, including a project with the Social Care Institute for Excellence that will develop national best practice guidance and training.