Agenda item

All local authoritieswith responsibility for Children’s Services will be inspected from November 2013 onwards under Ofsted’s new framework for Children in Need of Help or Protection, Children Looked After and Care Leavers.Inspections will be undertaken at short notice andthey will last for 4 weeks. This verbal briefing will advise the Board about the preparation that is being undertaken for York’s inspection.

Members received a verbal update regarding the preparations being undertaken for the Ofsted inspection of Children’s Services in York.

It was noted that the inspection regime had changed from previous arrangements such as the Safeguarding and Looked After Children Inspection for which York was graded ‘good’. The previous Inspection had previously been focus group and case file audit centred, with the Local Authority given notification to enable some preparation. The inspection was also shorter. 

The new inspection framework, the Single Inspection Framework, would last for four weeks and there would be no notice period to enable preparation. The Inspection would look at Child in Need, Children in Need of Protection, Looked After Children, Leaving Care and Adoption Services. The framework did incorporate some inspection of the Early Help offer but this was not its main focus.

As has been widely reported in the media, the previous category of ‘adequate’ had now been replaced with ‘requires improvement’.

Members were told about the various stages of the process these were;

1.   That the Local Authority would receive a call from the Lead Ofsted Inspector at approximately 0930on the Tuesday morning of Week One. The Inspectors would arrive later the same day.

2.   That the inspectors would initially focus on the Referral and Assessment Team (the Front Door arrangements). For contacts, referrals and assessments. The inspectors were very interested in front-line practice and would accompany social workers on their visits.

3.   Within Week One a dataset would need to be produced (known as Annex A) to reflect the range of children and young people at different stages of the child’s journey through the safeguarding processes within York.

4.   This data set would form key lines of enquiry for Ofsted inspectors in WeekThree of the inspection.

5.   In Week Two the Inspectors were ‘off site’ but would request that 18 cases selected by them be audited by Officers. The audits would evidence whether Officers knew the strengths and deficits of the Service.

6.   Week Three is the fieldwork week when Inspectors are on site. Other Local Authorities note this to be an intense process with excess of 100 cases reviewed. Inspectors may well visit Looked After Children in foster care, sit in on Fostering Panel, attend Child Protection conferences in York and observe direct Social Work with service users.

7.   Week Four allows for two days evidence gathering and then, on the Wednesday, initial feedback. The formal Report is moderated and published approximately six weeks later.

It was pointed out that there would be more scrutiny of the outcomes of the processes for children and young people rather than processes, and that the stated aim of the inspection would be to look at whether Children’s Services were making a difference to children and young people and their families in York.

It was not clear as to when York would receive its Ofsted Inspection. A list of possible ‘Tuesdays’ had been circulated by Ofsted.

Further discussion took place regarding areas that the Ofsted inspectors might look at during their visit.

It was suggested that in their focus on Looked After Children the inspectors might look at education outcomes. Therefore it was suggested that a session for Members of the Corporate Parenting Board be arranged with the city’s Virtual Headteacher for Looked After Children, Tricia Head and Maxine Squire, the Interim Director for Education and Skills.

Officers gave Members a selection of comments and questions that might arise during an Ofsted inspection and were the subject of preparation work. These were;

(1)  What makes York's services for children in need of help and protection, children looked after and care leavers and Local Safeguarding Children Board anything other than inadequate?

(2)  What has happened in York since the last SLAC Inspection?

(3)  Are services in York self-aware – are there inconsistencies of understanding between professionals and/or between partner agencies about the Services being delivered and outcomes being achieved? 

(4)  Are caseloads simply too high to provide a safe and effective service?

(5)  Is Quality Assurance systemic – is it part of the day-to-day business involving everyone at every level?

(6)  Do York know what ‘good’ looks like?

(7)  What is happening at the 'threshold points'? ie. such as a decision to escalate from CAF to Contact, Contact to Referral, Referral to Strategy Discussion, Decision to convene Conference, Decision to List, Decision to accommodate, Decision to enter into care proceedings.

(8)  What is the culture in York? Is there effective organisational support? Is there a clear and coherent narrative about the support being provided?

(9)  Does the Local Safeguarding Children Board hold partners to account? Are there clear and understood governance arrangements (do partners know who reports to who and who should know what?)

(10)   Are lessons learnt in York (from national and local Serious Case Reviews)? 

The Chair felt that it was useful for the Board to have a ‘watching brief’ over inspection arrangements.

She asked how young people would be involved with the inspection.

It was anticipated that inspectors would attend meetings with young people and also query how the child’s ‘voice’ was established and informed services.

Resolved:  (i)  That the update be noted.

                  (ii)  That a briefing session be arranged for Members with Tricia Head and Maxine Squire, ahead of an inspection.

Reason:     So that Members are kept informed of the arrangements for the inspection.