Ofsted | Information about children and families services

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Framework for the inspection of local authority arrangements for the protection of children

This document outlines the framework for the inspection of local authority arrangements to protect children, including the effectiveness of early identification and help for children, young people, their families and carers.
Children's and young person's guide to the inspection of children's homes

This guide for children and young people provides a brief summary of the children's home inspection framework.
Unannounced inspections of contact, referral and assessment from 1 September 2010

This revised framework is effective from 1 September 2010.

Inspection of adoption support agencies

This is a consultation document on proposals for a revised framework for the inspection of adoption support agencies.
Inspections of safeguarding and looked after children services: framework for inspection and guidance for local authorities and partners

This document sets out the framework and guidance for the inspections of safeguarding and looked after children.
Ofsted Audit Committee minutes

Here you will find the minutes from recent Ofsted audit committee meetings.

First Annual Social Care Lecture: 1 February 2012

On 1 February 2012 Ofsted’s Deputy Chief Inspector, John Goldup delivered the first Annual Social Care Lecture, ‘Bureaucratic burden or force for improvement: can inspection square the circle?'
Social care data analysis tool

Ofsted developed the social care data analysis tool to help produce pre-inspection data briefings
High expectations, high support and high challenge

This report explores how senior managers in 14 local authorities successfully implemented a range of strategies to better support their front-line staff working in child protection and asks whether there is a demonstrable link between better support for staff at the front line and better outcomes

Conducting inspections of children's homes

This guidance is designed to assist inspectors from the Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) when conducting inspections of children's homes.
Responses to Ofsted's consultation on the inspection of local authority children's services

This report details the outcome of the consultation and our next steps.
Inspections of arrangements for the protection of children: evaluation schedule and grade descriptors

This evaluation schedule sets out the arrangements for inspections of local authority arrangements for the protection of children, including the effectiveness of early identification and help for children, young people, and their families and carers.

Ofsted's Deputy Chief Inspector, John Goldup delivers the first Annual Social Care Lecture

03 Feb 2012

Ofsted’s Deputy Chief Inspector, John Goldup delivers the first Annual Social Care Lecture, ‘Bureaucratic burden or force for improvement: can inspection square the circle', where he explains that bureaucracy and effective inspections are fundamentally opposed to each other.
Ofsted's Deputy Chief Inspector, John Goldup gives the first Annual Social Care lecture - includes a best practice report for social workers in child protection

01 Feb 2012

Ofsted’s Deputy Chief Inspector, John Goldup is to deliver Ofsted’s first Annual Social Care Lecture at the London School of Economics today. He will explore the tensions between inspection in social care as a form of bureaucratic burden and inspection as a force for improvement.
Seeing through a child's eyes: Ofsted announces no notice, unannounced inspections for child protection

31 Jan 2012

Focusing on the child’s journey and experience and looking at what makes the most difference in improving children’s lives, Ofsted is to introduce no notice inspection for child protection services. The new child protection framework, published today, will come into effect in May.

Sharper focus and shorter notice proposed as Ofsted launches its consultation for the inspection of adoption support agencies

10 Jan 2012

Today, Ofsted launches a consultation on changes to the inspection of adoption support agencies.
20-year milestone for children's rights international law

16 Dec 2011

To mark the 20th anniversary of the UK’s ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) the Children’s Rights Director for England has today announced that a special guide to the UNCRC for children in care will be published shortly on the Rights4me website.
Children's Rights Director welcomes Government announcement on the future Children's Commissioner

16 Dec 2011

The Government has today made its response to the recent consultation on the legislation to be introduced to replace both the present Children’s Commissioner for England and the present Children’s Rights Director for England with a new Office of the Children’s Commissioner for England.

Raising ambition and tackling failure - The Annual Report of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Education, Children's Services and Skills 2010/11

22 Nov 2011

Ofsted today publishes the Annual Report 2010/11, drawing on over 31,000 inspection visits across the schools, early years, children’s social care and learning and skills sectors in England.
Universal Children’s Day

20 Nov 2011

With many countries around the world celebrating Universal Children’s Day on 20 November, Ofsted explains how the Children's Rights Director for England, Dr Roger Morgan, is ensuring that some of our most vulnerable children and young people are being given a voice.
Personal diary entries of children about care, support and life away from home

15 Nov 2011

Today the Children’s Rights Director, Dr Roger Morgan, publishes the 100 days in care report which documents 100 personal diary entries about children’s experience of being in care, leaving care, and living in boarding schools or residential special schools.

The majority of local authorities are providing good services for local children and young people

08 Nov 2011

Today Ofsted publishes the outcomes of the 2011 annual children’s services assessments for local authorities across England. It shows that the majority of authorities are providing good or better children’s services, with 28 authorities providing excellent services for children in their area.
Next HMCI

03 Nov 2011

Announcement from the Education Select Committee
Ofsted reports on the protection of vulnerable babies and young people

26 Oct 2011

Today, Ofsted publishes two reports which highlight the vulnerability of teenagers in the child protection system.