Integrated inspections to assess the contribution of all professionals to the help, care and protection of children and young people
23 Jun 2014 01:14 PM
Today sees the
consultation launch of the targeted programme of integrated inspections. This
marks a major step forward in the way that the contribution of local agencies
is assessed with regards to the help, care and protection of children, young
people and families.
Under proposals published today,
from April 2015, Ofsted, the Care Quality Commission, Her Majesty’s
Inspectorate of Constabulary, Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Probation,
and where appropriate, Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons will work
together to carry out a targeted programme of ‘integrated’
inspections.
The inspection programme is not
universal and does not replace the existing inspection programmes of each
inspectorate.
The integrated inspections will
see partner inspectorates working alongside each other to look at the
effectiveness of local authorities, health, police, probation and other
services in helping to protect and care for children and young
people.
Each inspectorate will make a
separate judgement about the specialist professional contribution of
the services they inspect.
The judgement for local
safeguarding children board (LSCB) will be a shared judgement among the
inspectorates.
Debbie Jones, Ofsted’s
National Director for Social Care said:
'The consultation we are
launching today is an important and complementary step for inspection. This
approach will enable us to bring together in those places that benefit from an
integrated inspection, a better picture of how children are helped, cared for
and protected by agencies in a local area.
'The ambition is to
encourage a far greater focus – from all agencies involved - on the
experiences of children and the quality of the help and care they are
given.
'The protection, help and
care of children and young people is everybody’s business and I am
pleased that following last year’s decision to defer this work, we are
now in a position to launch our consultation on this targeted and shared
programme.'
The new ‘integrated’
approach means that inspectorates will be on site in alocal authority area
within the same four week inspection window. This will ensure information is
quickly shared about how professionals support families and protect children
and young people.
The inspectorates will publish
their respective findings and judgements together in one report which will also
include the shared judgement for LSCB.
The move toward integrated
inspection was recommended by Professor Eileen Munro in her 2011 review of
child protection, which found that the quality and effectiveness of care and
protection for children and young people could only be properly evaluated by
taking into account the contributions of all local services.
Debbie Jones
concluded:
'Ultimately each
inspectorate shares the same important aim - that of driving forward the best
professional practice that makes the most positive difference.
'I hope that everyone who
has an interest in the safety and welfare of children, young people and their
families, particularly those who work in the field, will take part in the
consultation – and help us shape and develop inspections that raise
standards and improve lives.'
The consultation will run from
23 June – 12 September 2014 (12 weeks), and can be accessed via any one
of the inspectorate websites.
The consultation seeks views on
six specific proposals:
- The criteria for selecting the
local areas to be inspected
- The judgement structure for the
integrated inspection
- The new grade descriptors for
the judgement of ‘good’, in health services and the police
force.
- The new criteria that will be
used to evaluate youth offending teams, providers of probation services and
providers of custodial and detention services
- The proposed shared summary of
key findings and the proposal that each inspectorate will produce a separate
report outlining their detailed findings for the specialist service that they
have inspected
- The joint inspection of the LSCB
to evaluate its effectiveness and impact
Today’s consultation is
published alongside an overview report which summarises the collective learning
for all inspectorates in their inspections of the help, care and the protection
of children since November 2013.
Notes to
editors
Welcoming statements for the new
integrated inspections:
Professor Steve Field,
Chief Inspector of General Practice for CQC said:
'This consultation presents
a vital opportunity for people with child protection knowledge and experience
to help shape and improve the way in which services are inspected in future.
The Care Quality Commission strongly encourages people to contribute by sharing
their views.
'Increasing communication
and collaboration between agencies is essential in order to achieve the best
outcomes for our vulnerable young people.'
HM Inspector of
Constabulary, Drusilla Sharpling said:
'HMIC has a strong interest
in how the police service protects children. We recognise it is a complex issue
that requires input from a number of agencies.
'I welcome this consultation
and I am very interested to hear the views of those working in the field of
child protection. Their input will be invaluable in informing how we proceed
with these inspections. I encourage those with a view on child protection to
respond to this consultation.'
Chief Inspector of
Prisons Nick Hardwick said:
'Children held in custody
are among some of the most challenging and vulnerable in the whole country. HM
Inspectorate of Prisons very much welcomes the opportunity to be involved in
work which aims to improve the way these young people are cared for and looked
after.'
HM Chief Inspector of
Probation, Paul McDowell.
''Staff working in both
probation and youth offending services have a vital role to play, alongside
other agencies, in protecting children. They also have a key role in managing
offenders who pose a risk to children. These integrated inspections will help
to provide assurance that this work is done properly, identify where
improvements to practice are needed, and ensure recommendations for improvement
are addressed.''
- The Office for Standards in
Education, Children’s Services and Skills (Ofsted) regulates and inspects
to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in
education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects
childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and
Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial
teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and
community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure
establishments. It inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding
and child protection.
- Media can contact the Ofsted
Press Office through 03000 130415 or via Ofsted’s enquiry line 0300
1231231 between 8.30am – 6.00pm Monday – Friday. Out of these
hours, during evenings and weekends, the duty press officer can be reached on
07919 057359.
- The Care Quality Commission
(CQC) is the independent regulator of health and social care in England. We
make sure health and social care services provide people with safe, effective,
caring, well-led and responsive care, and we encourage care services to
improve. We monitor, inspect and regulate services to make sure they meet
fundamental standards of quality and safety and we publish what we find to help
people choose care.
- Her Majesty’s Inspectorate
of Constabulary (HMIC) is an independent inspectorate, inspecting policing in
the public interest, and rigorously examines the efficiency and effectiveness
of police forces to tackle crime and terrorism, improve criminal justice and
raise confidence. HMIC inspects and regulates all 43 police forces in England
and Wales.
- Her Majesty's Inspectorate
of Prisons is an independent inspectorate, inspecting places of detention to
report on conditions and treatment, and promote positive outcomes for those
detained and the public.
- Her Majesty’s Inspectorate
of Probation is an independent inspectorate, sponsored by the Ministry of
Justice, and reporting directly to the Secretary of State on the effectiveness
of work with individual adults, children and young people who offend, aimed at
reducing reoffending and protecting the public.
Associated
resources