Annual Return 2025: Now open for Adults and Children's services
The deadline for submission is 26 May 2025.
The Annual Return is now available for Responsible Individuals (RIs) for adults and children's services to complete using their CIW Online account.
What is an Annual Return?
The Annual Return is an online form that the following adults and children's service providers must complete each year:
- Care home services
- Domiciliary services
- Secure accommodation services
- Residential family centre services
- Regulated fostering services
- Regulated adoption services
- Regulated advocacy services
- Adult placement services
What do we do with the data?
The information providers give us through their Annual Return helps us to plan our inspections and provide the right help and support to those who need it most. The data from across Wales will be collated, anonymised and published later in 2025.
You can view last year's data on our data tools page.
Important information for all adults and children's services:
- If you run an adults or children’s service, you are legally required to complete your Annual Return by 26 May 2025.
- The Responsible Individual(s) or organisational officer(s) who have activated their CIW Online account should complete and submit the Annual Return.
- If you have not fully activated your online account, please call us on 0300 7900 126.
- If you do not have a CIW Online account, you need to take urgent action:
- visit CIW Online (External link) or call us on 0300 7900 126 and select option 4
Help and guidance
We have created a short video demonstrating how to complete your Annual Return, along with detailed instructions to support you. These are available on our Submitting an Annual Return page.
If you encounter any technical difficulties or have questions about completing your Annual Return, please email us ciw@gov.wales or call us 0300 7900 126.