Code of Practice for Inspection of Child Minding, Day Care and Open Access Play Services

About us

1.1. Care Inspectorate Wales (CIW) is the independent regulator of social care and childcare. We register, inspect and take action to improve the quality and safety of services for the well-being of the people of Wales.

1.2. We aim to: 

• provide independent assurance about the quality and availability of social care in Wales 
• safeguard adults and children, making sure that their rights are protected 
• improve care by encouraging and promoting improvements in the safety and quality of social care services and 
• inform policy, standards and provide independent professional advice to the people developing policy, the public and social care sector.

1.3. We achieve this by: 

• carrying out functions on behalf of Welsh Ministers 
• deciding who can provide services 
• inspecting and driving improvement of regulated services and local authority social services 
• undertaking thematic reviews of social care services 
• taking action to ensure services meet legislative and regulatory requirements; and 
• following up on concerns raised about regulated services.

1.4. We carry out our functions on behalf of Welsh Ministers under the following legislation: 

• The Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Act 2003 (the 2003 Act) (External link) which gives powers to review the way in which local authorities discharge their social services functions; the Regulation and Inspection of Social Care (Wales) Act 2016 (External link), The Care Standards Act 2000 (the 2000 Act) (External link), The Children Act 1989 (as amended) (External link), Adoption and Children Act 2002 (External link) and the Children and Families (Wales) Measure 2010 (the 2010 Measure) (External link) which give powers to register and inspect providers of social care services in Wales.

1.5. We specifically regulate and inspect childcare and play services under the following legislation: 

• Children and Families (Wales) Measure 2010 
• The Regulation of Child Minding and Day Care (Wales) Order 2016 
• The Child Minding and Day Care (Wales) Regulations 2010 
• The Child Minding and Day Care (Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2016 
• The Child Minding and Day Care (Inspection and Information for Local Authorities) (Wales) Regulations 2010 
•  The Child Minding and Day Care Exceptions (Wales) Order 2010 
• The Child Minding and Day Care Exceptions (Wales) (Amendment) Order 2016 
• The Children and Families (Wales) Measure 2010 (Commencement No.2, Saving and Transitional Provisions) (Amendment) and (Consequential Amendment) Order 2011 
• The Child Minding and Day Care (Disqualification) (Wales) Regulations 2010

1.6. We expect all childcare and play services to comply with the regulations and meet the relevant national minimum standards.

1.7. We also take into account guidance for specified authorities in England and Wales on the duty of schools and other providers, under the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015, to have due regard to the need to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism.

How we regulate

1.8. Our primary concern is to ensure that children using services are supported to achieve the best possible outcomes, and that they are not placed at risk and do not experience harm. In order to achieve this we: 

• have a robust registration process, so that we only register providers who have assured us that they will comply with regulations
• undertake both routine and responsive inspections
• have a clear, progressive and proportionate enforcement pathway

How we support improvement

1.9. We expect all providers to have their own quality assurance processes which effectively improve outcomes for children attending their service. In 2024, we introduced quality meetings to support providers to make improvements.

The purpose of the Code of Practice

2.1. This Code of Practice (CoP) describes our approach to inspecting those services regulated under the 2010 Measure, including the frequency in which these services will be inspected. It also sets out the principles guiding our inspection work. Inspectors are required to have regard to the guidance in the CoP and be able to explain how they have taken it into account when undertaking an inspection.

2.2. The CoP informs everyone about how childcare and play services are inspected in Wales. This includes children using services, their families, friends and carers, as well as providers of childcare and play services and members of the public. 

How we regulate

2.3. The CoP only applies to those services that are regulated under the 2010 Measure. These are:  

• child minding 
• day care: 
  • full day care, such as day nurseries, children’s centres, before- and after-school provision 
  • sessional day care, such as playgroups, Cylchoedd Meithrin, wraparound care 
  • out-of-school childcare including care provided before school, after school and during school holidays 
  • crèches 
  • open access play

3.1. We put the rights of children at the heart of our work. This means that we ensure that demonstrating respect, welcoming diversity, promoting equality and upholding children’s rights are reflected in all that we do. The Human Rights Act 1998, The Equality Act 2010 (External link), the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCR) (External link), the Welsh Government’s ‘Children Rights Scheme’ which is enshrined in the Rights of Children and Young Persons (Wales) Measure 2010, and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities are reflected in our frameworks for inspection. We consider how providers promote children’s rights by finding out how they ensure that children: 

• have a voice; 
• are safe; 
• are nurtured 
• are treated with respect; and 
• are helped to develop their full potential.

3.2. Further information on our commitment to promoting and upholding the rights of children who use childcare and play services (External link) is set out in our Human Rights guidance document.

3.3. We take account of all relevant statutory frameworks and safeguarding policies and procedures when considering whether children using the service are safe. If during the inspection process we find care practice which leaves children unsafe or at risk of harm, then we will take enforcement action as well as make a safeguarding referral to the local authority. We will ensure that measures are put in place to safeguard children using the service.

3.4. Where children lack capacity, we will explore the extent to which providers adhere to the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (External link) and The Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) (External link).

3.5. The Welsh Language Standards (External link) further support us in implementing a rightsbased approach. We use the principles of the Standards during our inspections, which help us ensure that children have a right to access a service in Welsh, if they so wish. The Standards support children who are Welsh-speaking to have services provided in Welsh, when they need it, without them or their parents having to ask for it. Some examples might include: 

• Welsh-speaking staff supporting children who speak Welsh; 
• Welsh language signage to help orientate Welsh speakers; or 
• information about the service provided in Welsh for those who want it. 

Alongside reviewing how providers implement the Welsh Language Standards we have an active offer, which includes providing Welsh-speaking inspectors for providers where Welsh is the main language of choice.

Why do we inspect 

4.1. Inspection is a core activity of CIW and helps ensure that children accessing childcare and play services are safe, their well-being is promoted and their rights are upheld. It is how we drive continual improvement in the sector and check that providers are meeting their statutory duties. 

The principles of inspection 

4.2. The work of inspection is guided by the following principles. 

• Being child-focused – inspectors put children who use regulated services at the centre of their work and assess services in terms of outcomes for children’s safety, well-being and rights. 
• Supporting improvement – inspectors make judgements about services. We commend good practice, identify poor practice and promote improvement in childcare and play services.
• Being transparent – inspectors are open about the information they have used to inform their inspections, reports are clear and inform people about what we can expect from services. 
• Being fair and impartial – inspectors base their inspections on evidence; this includes observations, speaking to people and information we read. We provide prompt feedback to the provider about what we have found including areas of strength and where improvements are required. We give them the opportunity to address any concerns, provide further information and question any matters that are not correct. 
• Being robust – inspectors take firm and timely action when services provide poor care or place children at risk. 
• Being proportionate – inspectors focus on matters that directly affect children’s safety, well-being and rights. We apply our enforcement powers when we see that childcare and play services are failing in these areas. 
• Being consistent – inspectors apply the same principles and undertake the same approach to all providers that we inspect.

How we inspect

4.3. Inspections consist of four key stages including: 

• inspection planning/preparation; 
• the inspection visit; 
• feedback; and 
• reporting. 

4.4. We hold a considerable amount of information on providers through our registration and inspection processes as well as obtaining information from other intelligence sources. This helps us to determine the type and frequency of inspection required for a particular provider. We use this information to plan and inform what we want to focus on when we visit the provider and any specific measures we need to consider for engaging with the children or staff using the service or staff. For example, where children have communication needs, the inspector can consider and plan for how they will engage with these children in line with our principles of inspection. 

4.5. During an inspection visit, inspectors will seek three broad types of evidence. 

• What is said – inspectors engage with and listen to children using services, along with their parents/carers and friends, and talk to them about their experience of care. We also talk to the provider, relevant professionals and staff working at the service. We also use a specialist observation tool (SOFI2) when people using the service may be unable to say what their care and treatment is like, for example with young children.
• What is seen – inspectors observe interactions that take place between children and the people caring for them during the visit. We also observe the physical environment in which childcare and play is provided and assess the degree to which it is safe and suitable for the purpose intended.
• What is read – inspectors consult written records, policy documents and other material during the visit, seeking to confirm that they are comprehensive and up-to-date, and that they demonstrate how suitable processes are put into practice.

4.6. Inspectors make notes during the inspection, which inform our inspection reports. They may also ask for copies of documents, request that information be sent to them and remove records where required. When we remove original copies of individual care records and the information is still required to inform staff how to support children, copies of the information will be provided to the provider to ensure continuity and safety. 

4.7. If the inspection visit is as a result of taking enforcement action and the inspector needs to seize information under the 2010 Measure (External link), we will inform the provider of this and what it means. Where an inspector seizes and removes evidence they will do so having regard to the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE)

4.8. Usually at the end of the inspection visit, the provider will be given feedback which will allow them the opportunity to discuss our findings and provide additional evidence.

4.9. Subsequently the inspector’s findings, supporting evidence and conclusions will be developed into an inspection report. Our inspectors use our inspection frameworks to make judgements about their findings and capture these in the narrative of their report under each theme, using qualitative language. The inspector will also award a rating against each theme. The report will be made publicly available once the provider has had opportunity to comment.

How information is considered throughout the inspection process 

4.10. The following demonstrates what information is used throughout the inspection process and what we do with it:

1.  
   1. Provider Information
      • Information submitted through registration
      • Statement of Purpose
      • Self-Assessment of Service Statement
      • Annual quality of care report
      • Notifications that inform CIW bout the service 
   2. Other information held by CIW
      • Registration reports
      • Previous inspection reports
      • Information we hold under our enforcement process.
      • Information we have about other services the provider operates.
      • Concerns, notifications, and safeguarding referrals 
   3. Information provided by others
      • Concerns or information from relatives, staff members, professionals, other regulators or Members of the public
      • Local authority safeguarding referrals 
        • Where information is received relating to matters that our outside the scope of CIW’s functions it is referred on to a more suitable body.
           
2. Inspection Preparation and planning
   Information is collated and considered to determine the type and frequency of inspection and identify the themes to focus on. 
3. Inspection visit
   Record what we saw, what we were told and what we read. Feedback is provided to the provider.
   1. Where shortfalls are identified, this could lead to: 
      • Recommendations for improvement
      • Issue of a non-compliance notice
      • Other enforcement action such as an imposed condition on the registration
      • Follow up/inspection
   2. Safeguarding 
      If we see or are informed about safeguarding concerns during out inspection, we will feed this back to the provider at the earliest opportunity so they can act. We may also need to make referrals to other agencies as part of our statutory duty to safeguard people. 
4. Inspection report
   Findings from the inspection will be published and a follow up inspection will take place.

When will services be inspected?

4.11. The 2010 Measure allows us to inspect regulated services at any time and on any day. The frequency of inspections is set out in section 6.

4.12. Apart from our scheduled joint inspections with Estyn (see paragraph 5.8), all our inspections are unannounced. However, for some providers of open access play settings and childminders we may contact them the week before we intend to inspect to check the operating times and the child minder’s availability.

Focus of inspection 

4.13. To understand children’s experiences of care, the focus of our inspections is on the quality and safety of services and the outcomes for the children using services. Therefore we consider the following themes during inspections:

• Well-being: the well-being of children receiving care. 
  Inspectors evaluate the extent to which outcomes are being achieved.
• Care and development: the quality of childcare and play staff provide.
  Inspectors evaluate the degree to which children receive a high-quality service which reflects best practice, is provided by staff who have the appropriate knowledge and skills and supports children to achieve the best possible outcomes.
• Environment: the physical setting in which childcare and play is provided.
  Inspectors evaluate the degree to which outcomes for children are supported by surroundings that are safe, clean, accessible, comfortable, welcoming, well-maintained, stimulating, and suitably equipped and furnished.
• Leadership and management: organisational arrangements for the provision of childcare and play. 
  Inspectors evaluate the degree to which organisational arrangements provide assurance for the delivery of high quality services, by motivated staff in a well led and managed service.

4.14. The number of themes considered will be dependent upon the type of inspection undertaken, as described in section 5. To support a consistent approach to the inspection process, we have developed inspection frameworks for each regulated service that focus on outcomes and what good looks like.

4.15. Our inspection frameworks are accessible on the ‘providing a care service’ area of our website. 

Food standards

4.16. All our scheduled full inspections will consider, where relevant, the food hygiene rating awarded to the provider by the Food Standards Agency (External link). In addition, inspectors will consider if a provider is following the Food and Nutrition for Childcare Settings standards and guidance (External link). 

Ratings 

4.17. We introduced ratings for registered childcare and play services in 2016. We do not award an overall rating for the provider but we do award ratings against each of the four inspection themes using a four-point rating scale:

• Excellent
  These are services which are committed to ongoing improvement with many strengths, including significant examples of sector-leading practice and innovation. These services deliver high quality care and support and are able to demonstrate that they make a strong contribution to improving children’s well-being.
• Good
  These are services with strengths and no important areas requiring significant improvement. They consistently exceed basic requirements, delivering positive outcomes for children and actively promoting their well-being.
• Adequate
  These are services where strengths outweigh areas for improvement. They are safe and meet basic requirements but improvements are required to promote well-being and improve outcomes for children.
• Poor
  These are services where important areas for improvement outweigh strengths and there are significant examples of non-compliance that impact negatively on children’s wellbeing. Where services are poor we will take enforcement action and issue a non-compliance notice.

5.1. All providers must register any service(s) they deliver in Wales that is regulated under the 2010 Measure. As a result we can undertake inspections of the service relating to that registration. The following sets out the different types of inspections. 

Full inspection 

5.2. Full inspections involve in-depth consideration of all four themes. 

5.3. The first full inspection takes place approximately six months after a provider registers or begins providing the service. 

5.4. Full inspection are an opportunity for inspectors to check that providers are adhering to legislative and regulatory requirements, and are meeting the conditions of their registration. After the first full inspection, the service will receive further full inspections in line with the frequency set out in section 6. 

Focused inspection 

5.5. Focused inspections may be carried out in response to a specific concern, or to follow up on regulatory breaches or other issues identified at a previous inspection. Focused inspections are generally shorter than full inspections and will not necessarily cover all four themes. However, a focused inspection will always cover the theme of ‘well-being’.

5.6. Where the follow-up inspection is regarding a previously identified regulatory breach, the follow-up inspection will usually take place within 6 months of that previous inspection. However, the timing of that inspection will be based on the judgement of the inspector in considering the severity of the regulatory breach and the time required by the provider to address the issue(s).

Thematic inspections 

5.7. Thematic inspections focus on certain areas of practice across the childcare and play sector. For example, this could include reviewing provision for children with additional needs, or the quality of play. This enables us to have an understanding of, report on and make recommendations in relations to specific childcare and play practices across Wales.

Joint inspections with Estyn

5.8. We also undertake joint inspections with Estyn, the inspectorate for education and training in Wales. These inspections will consider the care and education provided in regulated non-school settings eligible for funding for part-time education. Joint inspections will include inspection of the care provided for all children up to the age of twelve and the education of three- and four-year-old children that do not receive education in a maintained setting.

5.9. A separate handbook has been developed setting out the way in which these settings will be jointly inspected. 

Length of inspections 

5.10. We also undertake joint inspections with Estyn, the inspectorate for education and training in Wales. These inspections will consider the care and education provided in regulated non-school settings eligible for funding for part-time education. Joint inspections will include inspection of the care provided for all children up to the age of twelve and the education of three- and four-year-old children that do not receive education in a maintained setting.

6.1. When we register a provider, we ensure the registration is monitored through a rolling programme of scheduled inspections. Information received between scheduled inspections is also monitored. The information gathered through this monitoring process informs us how the service is performing and when a subsequent inspection should be scheduled.

6.2. Our approach to deciding when an inspection should be scheduled is based on: 

• our consideration of the risks associated with that type of service and 
• knowledge of how that specific service is operating. 

6.3. We use an evidence-based approach to prioritise risks and make decisions about how we regulate services. There are a range of factors that will be considered to inform our scheduling of inspections, which include but are not limited to: 

• incoming concerns and safeguarding referrals – these can be predictive of risk to children using the service; 
• if the service is a newly registered service – some newly established services can be of greater risk during the initial set up period; 
• if the service has been issued with a priority action notice or where there is a history of non-compliance with legal requirements; 
• if the person in charge, registered person, or responsible individual is absent for more than three months – this may impact on the safe operation of the service; and 
• if the provider is part of the securing improvement and enforcement pathway.

6.4. In order to determine the frequency of inspection we have developed a scheduling model that captures and weighs the factors listed above. Our scheduling model will use the available information to identify whether a service requires a routine, early or priority inspection. However, the scheduling model is only a tool used for the specific purpose of scheduling an inspection. The quality of the service is determined at inspection. 

6.5. We have reviewed our data about routine inspections and based on our findings changed the maximum interval between these inspections to five years. For services which need to do more to improve, we will carry out an earlier inspection, with a maximum interval between these inspections of two years. We will carry out a quality meeting around midway between the scheduled inspections to support providers to make improvements before we next inspect. 

We will prioritise services which need to do most to improve and schedule their inspection within six months. These services will not be eligible for a quality meeting until we are confident they have made the required improvements.

6.6. It is important to note that we may schedule an inspection at any time in response to incoming concerns, notifications or safeguarding referrals.

Inspectors 

7.1. Inspectors employed by CIW have come from a variety of professional backgrounds within childcare, education or health and social care; many have previously worked as nurses, social workers, teachers or as providers or managers of childcare services. However, all inspectors are civil servants and must meet the professional standards set out in the Civil Service Code (External link). As with social care workers, inspectors also act in accordance with the Code of Professional Practice for Social Care (External link) This brings the expectation that inspectors will: 

• carry out their work with care, integrity, courtesy, sensitivity and professionalism; 
• evaluate the provision of services objectively ensuring evidence is both triangulated and weighted appropriately; 
• report on the inspection honestly, fairly and impartially; 
• communicate clearly and openly to promote the health, safety and well-being of children who use childcare and play services; 
• act in the best interests of children using services; 
• respect confidentiality of information; 
• be accountable and take responsibility for the quality of their work; and 
• promote, uphold and respect the privacy, dignity, rights, health and well-being of people who both use or are employed by childcare and play services. 

How providers and staff can support the inspection process 

7.2. We will always seek to minimise the impact that an inspection visit can have on the service, its staff and the children using the service. To help inspectors achieve that aim, providers and their staff can assist the inspection in the following ways: 

• talk to the inspector; 
• tell the inspector about any possible risks; 
• tell the inspector if their presence will upset children; 
• do what you would normally do (we want to see what it is normally like for children);
• allow the inspector to walk around communal areas, as long as it is safe to do so; 
• allow inspectors a private area to talk to staff and where necessary also to people using the service; 
• if during feedback you disagree with anything the inspector tells you, please tell them and be clear about the reasons why; and 
• if you have any concerns about how the inspection is being conducted raise this immediately with the inspector or their manager. 

7.3. We will be polite and courteous in our dealings with you and therefore expect you to be polite and courteous in your dealings with us. However, we will not tolerate unreasonable, aggressive or abusive behaviour, unreasonable demands or unreasonable persistence. We regard any incident of this nature as serious and we will take action in accordance with Welsh Government policy to protect our staff where necessary. 

Feedback 

8.1. We strive to ensure our inspection reports are fair and that our findings are properly based on the triangulation of evidence we gather. Therefore, in the interests of fairness and transparency, we accept the right of providers to respond to our reports and comment on our findings where they believe them to be inaccurate or unfair. This gives us the opportunity to correct any errors and consider additional information before an inspection report becomes publicly available. 

8.2. The inspector will provide feedback to the registered person following an inspection visit. This will be an overview of findings at the end of the inspection visit as further analysis may be required before firm conclusions can be drawn. Feedback will be structured around the assessment themes and should focus on areas of compliance and non-compliance. Where it is not possible to provide feedback to the registered person at the end of the inspection visit, the inspector will provide feedback to those in charge of the service on the day. At the earliest opportunity, we will contact and provide feedback to the registered person. The inspector may also provide feedback during the course of the inspection visit if immediate action is required. 

8.3. This feedback will give the provider the opportunity to challenge any inaccurate information and provide the inspector with any further evidence which may inform the report. 

8.4. Where an inspector considers that a service has not met the requirements of the regulations and is thinking of or intending to issue a priority action notice or take other enforcement action, the inspector will clearly inform the provider accordingly. 

Inspection report 

8.5. Children’s experiences of services are at the heart of our reports including the impact of those services on their well-being. Whilst providers and professionals read our reports, they are written for the general public. This enables those who use and choose services to understand the quality of childcare and play provided. 

8.6. Inspectors base their reports on the evidence they gather prior to, during and following the inspection visit. The inspector considers a variety of evidence to support their findings in their report. This will be a consideration of what is said, what is seen and what is read to inform our findings, our overall judgements and the ratings to award. 

When will the inspection report be published? 

8.7. Information about how we publish the inspection report is available in our policy In the interests of fairness and transparency, we accept the right of Registered Persons, Responsible Individuals or relevant persons to question our reports where they believe them to be inaccurate or missing consideration of important evidence. This gives us the opportunity to correct any errors and consider additional information before an inspection report becomes publicly available. Further information about this process is available in our responding to inspection reports policy.

Raising a complaint about an inspection

8.8. If the provider, the family of a child using the service or a member of the public has a complaint about the conduct, attitude or behaviour of an inspector, or any CIW staff member, we have a complaints policy that should be followed.

8.9. The complaints policy is separate to the ‘responding to inspection reports’ policy. A complaint made against the conduct of an inspector will not normally delay the publication of an inspection report.

9.1. Inspectors use a proportionate approach which looks at the impact on or risk to children using the service whilst taking into consideration the requirements of the 2010 Measure, regulations and relevant national minimum standards. 

9.2. The types of actions we take will be proportionate and will look at the impact on or risk to children using the service. This could include actions described below. 

• Where we identify that outcomes for children could be improved, we may make recommendations. 
• Where the provider is not meeting the legal requirements but there is minimal impact on or risk to children using the service, we will inform the provider that they are non-compliant and will expect them to take action to address the issues identified. In these cases, we will not issue a priority action notice; however, this will be followed up and reported on at the next scheduled inspection.
• Where the provider is not meeting the legal requirements and there is a significant negative impact on or risk to children using the service, we will issue a priority action notice which is the first step in our enforcement process. In these cases, we will undertake a follow-up inspection to test whether the provider has made the required improvements.
• In certain circumstances, where we determine that the risk to children is particularly significant, we may take urgent action to place restrictions on or cancel the provider’s registration. This could include for example preventing further admissions or closing the service.

9.3. We want to make sure that providers who provide poor care do not continue to do so. We have a range of actions we can take under our enforcement process to make sure children are safe. These include: 

• issuing a priority action notice; 
• requiring the provider to meet with us to discuss what actions have been taken to address poor care.; 
• imposing, varying or removing conditions on the provider’s registration; 
• cancelling the provider’s registration; 
• prosecuting the provider.

10.1. The knowledge and information we hold is one of our most important assets. It ensures that the decisions we make and the advice we give is underpinned by a robust evidence base. 

10.2. Through our registration and inspection processes we gather and hold a considerable amount of information on providers, as well as information obtained from other intelligence sources. This valuable information helps us to assess whether a registered provider and/or registered person is complying with their legislative and statutory responsibilities. 

10.3. On occasion we may receive a request to release information relating to an individual case or provider. Any individual has the right to request recorded information that we hold, and subject to the statutory requirements of legislation around information handling, to be given a copy of this information. 

10.4. To ensure that the right information is available at the right time, and that we uphold the statutory requirements that are required of us, we: 

• Safeguard the information we hold, in line with Welsh Government procedures, to ensure high standards of information security and data protection. 
• Store our information in the correct way, adhering to the Welsh Government’s records management principles. 
• Respond to requests for information within the established processes and timeframes required by law. 
• Share information appropriately and lawfully, to enhance and re-use our knowledge, work collaboratively and reduce duplication. 

10.5. Our Privacy Notice summarises how we handle all the types of personal information we collect. This includes the legal basis for collecting the information, how the information is processed, how long it is kept for, who it might be shared with, what your rights are in relation to it and the relevant contacts that you might need. 

10.6. In certain cases CIW may participate in or undertake an inspection jointly with other regulatory bodies or agencies, such as the Police or Health and Safety Executive. Sharing information with these regulatory bodies or agencies is crucial in ensuring an effective use of information and resource. In these situations, we share information in line with the statutory requirements placed upon us.

• Childcare and play: 
  Broadly refers to the type of provision regulated under the 2010 Measure. 
• Care Inspectorate Wales (CIW): 
  The independent regulator of social care and childcare. We register, inspect and take action to improve the quality and safety of services for the well-being of the people of Wales. 
• Code of Practice for Inspection: 
  High-level description of the manner in which the inspection of regulated services is to be carried out. 
• Concerns:
  An issue which has been reported to CIW that relates to the safety, wellbeing or rights of children using the service. 
• Compliance: 
  Where a provider is meeting their regulatory responsibilities. Providers are deemed ‘non-compliant’ when they fail to meet those responsibilities. 
• Inspection framework: 
  A structured approach to support how we focus our inspection activity throughout the inspection process. 
• Regulator:
  Organisation established by government to supervise, by means of rules and regulations, an area of commercial or social activity. 
• Safeguarding: 
  General term for actions taken to promote the welfare of children and protect them from neglect, abuse and exploitation. 
• Well-being:
  Broadly refers to the state of a child being healthy, happy, safe and comfortable with their life.