• Find a children and families services inspection report
• Understanding a children and families services inspection report
• Types of children and families services Ofsted inspects
• Inspecting children and families services
  • Inspecting children's social care
  • Inspecting Cafcass
    • Before a Cafcass inspection
    • During a Cafcass inspection
    • After a Cafcass inspection
  • Inspecting local authority children's services
• Types of children and families services Ofsted regulates
• Regulating children and families services
• Safeguarding children
• About our survey reports
• How to complain

During a Cafcass inspection

Cafcass service area inspections last five days and are normally carried out by a team of five inspectors including the lead inspector.

Before the five days of detailed fieldwork begin, the lead inspector will already have spent two days in the service area setting up the inspection and gathering evidence.

The time allocated to the inspection is used mainly for gathering evidence. During the inspection, lead inspectors will ensure that:

• sufficient evidence is gathered to ensure that judgements are secure and reliable
• inspection activity includes: reading case records, court reports, supervision and appraisal records; meetings and interviews with staff, managers and key stakeholders; direct observation of practice including at court and in Cafcass offices
• all inspectors record evidence
• the main judgements about the service area are agreed by the inspection team
• the conduct of the inspection is to a high standard so that professional relationships are strong and inspectors' work is robust
• the Head of Service and senior managers receive evidence-based feedback on the practice observed and feedback about the overall effectiveness of the service area and the main findings of the inspection.