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Press release: Chief Inspectors of Ofsted and CSCI highlight the progress made and challenges facing local authority children's services in a joint speech to the North of England Education Conference

The new Chief Inspector of Schools, Maurice Smith, will today join the Chief Inspector of the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI), David Behan, to highlight the key issues affecting local authority children’s services to delegates at the North of England Education Conference.

In his first speech in his new role at the Office for Standards in Education, (Ofsted) Mr Smith will report on the findings from the first annual performance assessments of local authority children’s services and examine the progress made in implementing the new and improved integrated inspections, particularly the joint area reviews which began in September 2005.

Mr Smith will be joined on the platform by David Behan who will look ahead to the future challenges facing local authorities as they improve and integrate the services they provide for children and young people in their areas.

Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Schools, Maurice Smith, said:

"The move to integrated inspections was a major step towards improving the lives of children and young people and while we will continue to seek ways to improve the new reviews and assessments many local authorities are already telling us that they are having a positive impact in terms of reinforcing priorities, promoting joint working with partners, raising levels of consultation with children and young people and focusing council’s attention on undertaking systematic appraisal."

Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of the Commission for Social Care Inspection, David Behan, said:

"Strong local leadership is needed to implement the changes that lie ahead. The challenge is not to develop new structures but to change the nature of the relationship between those delivering services and those receiving services so that the care, support, help and education is personalised and individualised. The challenge is to develop this new culture and in so doing close the gap between policy and implementation."

Mr Smith and Mr Behan will deliver the speech to almost three hundred delegates at 11am on the second day of the North of England Education Conference, which is held annually in Gateshead. Delegates include cabinet members and councillors, education and children's services directors, headteachers and teachers and other educational organisations.

Notes For Editors

1.  

   1. For copies of the speeches given by Maurice Smith and David Behan please contact Emma Pickles in the Ofsted press office on 0207 421 6899 or Ray Veasey in the CSCI press office on 0207 979 2094.

   2. Ofsted and CSCI are two of 10 inspectorates and commissions which now work together to carry out joint area reviews of the services local authorities provide for children and young people age 0-19. Services reviewed include council services, health services, police and probation services, and publicly funded services provided by voluntary bodies. In addition, annual performance assessments of local authority children’s services are carried out by Ofsted and CSCI.

   3. The inspectorates and commissions involved in the new inspection arrangements for children’s services are: the Adult Learning Inspectorate, the Audit Commission, the Commission for Social Care Inspection, the Healthcare Commission, HM Inspectorate of Constabulary, HM Inspectorate of Probation, HM Inspectorate of Prisons, HM Inspectorate of Court Administration, HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate and the Office for Standards in Education.

   4. Ofsted is a non-ministerial government department established under the Education (Schools) Act 1992 to take responsibility for the inspection of all schools in England. Its role also includes the inspection of further education, local authority children’s services, teacher training institutions and some independent schools. During 2001, Ofsted became responsible for inspecting all 16-19 education and for the regulation of early years childcare, including childminders.

    

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