CIW Online assistants

Who can set up online assistants?

Responsible Individuals (RIs), Responsible Persons (RPs) and Organisation Officers with an active level 2 account can delegate someone working at their service as an online assistant. 

Online assistants for adult and children services will be able to make notifications about the service on their behalf.

Childcare and play online assistants are only able to respond to information requests at this time.

In addition to an online assistant, an RI can delegate an Organisation Officer (i.e., company director) to any service once the relevant identity checks have been completed. An organisation officer can access the same features as an RI and this is available for any service type.

Features of using online assistants

• RIs can decide who to delegate as an online assistant. This must be done for each service provided.
• An RI for a Service Provider with more than one service can create or remove Online assistants for any of the Service Provider’s services.
• Once set up, online assistants will be able to create and submit some notifications for a registered service.

How to setup an online assistant

Responsible Individuals (RIs)

• Before delegating someone in your service to become an online assistant you must have validated your CIW Online account using your unique PIN number.
• RIs cannot be online assistants.

Online assistants

• If you have delegated an online assistant they will need to create a CIW Online account. (External link) To do this, they will need an individual email address.

What Notifications can an online assistant make?

The type of notification that can be submitted by an online assistant will depend on the type of service being delivered. Notifications can only be submitted by adult and children services at this time.

Notifications that can be submitted by an online assistant

Leadership and Management 

• Referral to Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) pursuant to the Safeguarding vulnerable Groups Act 2006.

Well-being 

• Event which prevents or could prevent continued safe delivery of the service safely to people using the service
• Death of a person using the service
• Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) request sent to a supervisory body
• Serious accident, injury (including a category 3 or 4 pressure ulcers) or illness to a person using the service 
• Missing / unexplained absence of a child at the service*
• Child protection enquiry involving a child accommodated at the service*
• Outbreak of an infectious disease at the service
• Allegation of a serious offence committed by a child at the service*
• Incident / suspected incident of child exploitation at the service*
• Abuse / Allegation of abuse involving a person using the service

* These relate to care homes for children only.