Conducting 'safe and well' checks

Find out about conducting home visits to check on pupils’ welfare. Understand when and how to conduct ‘reasonable enquiries’ into a child’s whereabouts before removing them from the school roll.

Last reviewed on 15 June 2022
School types: All · School phases: All
Ref: 30918
Contents
  1. What these checks are for 
  2. Understand your school’s responsibility  
  3. Know how to conduct the check safely 

What these checks are for 

Schools and local authority (LA) social care teams can make visits to pupils’ homes to check on their welfare. These can go by various names, including ‘welfare checks’ and ‘safe and well checks'. 

The police also conduct these checks when a child has returned home after being reported missing. They look to see: 

  • If the child has suffered harm 
  • Where and with whom they've been 
  • If they've committed a crime or had one committed against them  

This is set out in part 4 section 17 of London Safeguarding Children Partnership's guidance on children missing from care, home and education. You may want to check your local police procedures in case they're different.

Example from a school 

A pupil is absent from school without a valid reason, and The school hasn't received a reply to a

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