Welsh care providers should check their safeguarding reporting procedures following changes to CIW Online that took effect on 30 September 2026.
Care Inspectorate Wales has updated its notification forms, including the route for reporting abuse or allegations of abuse. Its guidance now directs providers to report a child protection enquiry through that notification, then use the renamed Outcome of a Child Protection Enquiry form for the outcome.
Two older notification categories have been retired. Previously submitted records remain available to view, but providers can no longer submit new notifications through those categories.
For care managers, the practical issue is whether staff instructions still point to the right reporting route. A familiar checklist can become unreliable when the regulator changes the system behind it.
Our recommendation: review internal guidance, brief the people responsible for notifications and check that delegated users understand the updated forms. Include temporary staff in relevant safeguarding briefings so concerns reach the responsible manager promptly.
This is also a useful moment to test a handover scenario: if a concern arises overnight, does the team know who records it, who escalates it and who handles the regulator notification?
These changes apply to Wales. Providers elsewhere should follow their own regulator’s requirements.
Clear reporting routes help teams turn safeguarding concerns into timely action. That makes this a practical management priority, even when the change looks administrative.