Searching Bedrooms
Relevant Regulations
The Quality and Purpose of Care Standard
Regulation 6
Related guidance
Amendment
This chapter was updated locally in January 2025.
Bedrooms should not generally be entered without the child's permission. Where it may be necessary to conduct a room search, this should take place after the child has been informed or permission given.
It may be appropriate to conduct an immediate search of a child's belongings, including the searching of a child's bedroom, if there is reasonable cause to believe that the child has concealed weapons, illegal drugs other items, which may place the child or others at risk of injury; this may include mobile phones if they are being used in a way that places the child or others at risk of significant harm e.g. as a form of cyberbullying or places them or others at risk of exploitation.
Any searches of their rooms and possessions will be carried out sensitively with due consideration given to the needs of the child(ren) to feel safe and to have their dignity and needs respected. All searches will be appropriately recorded, including the reasons for the search, efforts to seek the child’s consent, any risk assessment and management oversight of the decision to carry out a search.
If there is a suspicion that inappropriate items are concealed, staff should try to obtain them with the child's co-operation.
If the child does not co-operate, or is unlikely to, it may be appropriate to conduct a search of their belongings/room.
Before conducting such a search, staff should consult their own supervisor/manager and ideally the child's social worker. Two staff should be present during the search.
When conducting searches, reasonable precautions must be taken to protect against possible sharp or dangerous objects that may be concealed.
If weapons or any dangerous or offensive items are found, they must be seized and passed to the Manager, see Section 2, Confiscating Items.
If staff believe that the child has an item of concern on their person, the child should be encouraged to hand this over or inform us of what the item is and where it is.
If the child does not co-operate, or is likely not to, a search may be undertaken without the child's co-operation or knowledge.
Unless there are exceptional circumstances, the manager and ideally child's social worker must be consulted and come to a decision about the actions that may be taken. It may be appropriate to consult relevant line managers.
When coming to a decision on the actions that will be taken, the managers/social worker(s) must take account of the following:
- Two staff must be present;
- When conducting searches, reasonable precautions must be taken to protect against possible sharp or dangerous objects that may be concealed;
- If weapons or any dangerous or offensive items are found, they must be seized and passed to the manager, see Section 2, Confiscating Items.
If there is an immediate risk of injury or damage to property, staff may take what actions they deem to be appropriate to protect themselves or others. As a last resort, this can include the use of Physical Intervention in order to enter of a child's bedroom. However, staff must only take such actions if it is safe to do so and their actions comply with the provisions/procedures set out in Use of Restraint and Physical Intervention Procedure. If there is a risk that an offence may be committed, the police must be called (see Offending and Anti-Social Behaviour – Guidance on when to Involve the Police).
Any items that are seized or removed by staff should be passed to the Home's manager, even if they are owned by children. The Home's manager should record the matter and, if items are confiscated, they must be kept securely until the child leaves, or the manager considers that they should be returned to the child e.g. where a child demonstrates they are able to use a mobile phone safely. The manager must provide the child with a receipt for the confiscated item(s).
If the items are thought to be a weapon, they should be passed to the police. Where staff find controlled drugs, the Home's manager should consider passing them to the police; other substances not believed to be controlled drugs should be confiscated, passed to the Home's manager, recorded and destroyed. If items are thought to be stolen, they must be delivered to the police unless there is a good reason not to do so (see below) – in which case the stolen item should be returned to the owner. These stolen items may be retained or disposed of if returning them to their owner is not practicable.
Home's managers should have a good reason not to pass items to the police and should take account of the following:
- Where the manager is unsure as to the legal status of a substance and has reason to believe it may be a controlled drug, they should treat it as such;
- Regarding stolen items, it would not be reasonable or desirable to involve the police in dealing with low value items. However, the manager may judge it appropriate to contact the police if the items are valuable (iPods/laptops) or illegal (alcohol/fireworks);
- Disposing of alcohol does not include returning it to the child. It should be poured down the sink.
Searches undertaken either with the child's co-operation or without, where no force is used, must be notified to the manager at the first opportunity; the Manager should inform the relevant social worker.
The social worker should decide whether to inform the child's parent(s) and, if so, who should do so.
Depending on the seriousness of the Incident, other people/agencies may have to be notified, see Notification of Serious Events Procedure.
Searches should be noted in the home's Daily Log, relevant child's Daily Record, with details as listed below:
- The time and date of the search;
- The reason or suspicions which led to the need to conduct the search;
- Who conducted the search and whether the child or others were present;
- Whether the child cooperated;
- What was found, and whether items found were retained/confiscated;
- If items were retained/confiscated, where they were stored.
Staff should also complete the Room Search Record and Register on Sue Solutions.
Last Updated: January 20, 2026
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