• Latest news
  • RSS feeds
• Find recent news
• Ofsted News
• Media Centre

Press release: Independent report published on the manageability of simultaneous joint area reviews and corporate assessments of local authority children's services

Inspectorates implement recommendations to improve inspections for councils

A new report published today, Evaluation of the manageability of the joint area review and corporate assessment process, examines how well combined joint area reviews (JARs) and the Audit Commission’s corporate assessment work. It focuses on the manageability of the process for councils and their partners.

The independent evaluation was commissioned by the Audit Commission and Ofsted, acting on behalf of the other inspectorates and commissions involved in joint area reviews. It was carried out by KPMG LLP who reported to a panel whose membership was drawn from the Audit Commission, Ofsted, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, Department for Education and Skills, Local Government Association and Commission for Social Care Inspection. The evidence was gathered between June and December 2005 and involved three of the local areas that had been part of the pilot phase and the eight local areas that were inspected in the first block of inspections that began in September 2005.

The report states that councils on the whole found the inspections to be of comparable or, in some cases, better quality than previous inspections they had experienced and that self-assessment was a positive part of the process. However, none of the councils involved in the early inspections felt it contributed to a reduced inspection burden or that there was ‘added value’ in a joined-up process.

Many of the report’s recommendations have already been implemented as part of a continuous improvement process based on the experience and feedback from the first councils. For example, information for councils on the separate and aligned elements has been improved with the introduction of a joint briefing conference at the start of each inspection block. Grade descriptors relating to the judgements have been written and shared with councils to support consistency and alignment and a more systematic approach to team size is being developed for JARs. Other developments are underway.

In addition the report suggests staggering the JAR and corporate assessment process. Due to the timing of local elections, the inspectorates have already agreed to phasing five JARs and corporate assessments, for councils due to take place during May. We will review how these inspections work and will revisit the issue of staggering inspections in the autumn.

The Audit Commission and Ofsted, acting on behalf of all the inspectorates involved in joint area reviews, are due to commission KPMG LLP to carry out a further review of the impact of the changes made to the JAR and corporate assessment process in the autumn.

Speaking on behalf of all the children’s services inspectorates and commissions, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Schools, Maurice Smith, said:

“KPMG provided regular feedback to the inspectorates during its evaluation of the early linked joint area reviews and corporate assessments and, as a result, many of the recommendations in the report have already been implemented as part of a continuous improvement process.

Steve Bundred, Chief Executive of the Audit Commission said:

“The introduction of a three-year combined cycle of joint area reviews and corporate assessments was a major step to make inspection work better for councils while also providing regular assurance for the public.

“This report, the commissioning of its follow up, the on-going listening and the changes we have already made, underline our commitment to improving the effectiveness of inspection.”

Notes For Editors

1. Joint area reviews of local authority children’s services and the Audit Commission’s corporate assessment of councils have been carried out together where possible since September 2005, as part of the new integrated inspection arrangements for children’s services.

2. The KPMG LLP evaluation was commissioned by the Audit Commission, the commission carrying out corporate assessments, and Ofsted, acting on behalf of the other inspectorates and commissions involved in JARs. The other inspectorates and commissions are: the Adult Learning Inspectorate, 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 and HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate.

Share this

Google Plus One