Ofsted
Our Ofsted journey: from inadequate to good in two years
Turning round children’s services in Tower Hamlets in two years was a ‘mighty struggle,’ says Will Tuckley. Here he outlines how the council successfully addressed intervention.
Radical change call amid lack of vision
The think-tank NLGN has called for a radical change in approach to children’s services to end ‘decades of weak national vision’.
Commissioner appointed to oversee council’s inadequate children’s services
The Government has appointed a commissioner to improve Medway Council’s children’s services after Ofsted rated them inadequate.
New directors add to improvement pace
Croydon LBC’s new executive director and director of early help and children’s social care have quickly made improvements to the council’s inadequate children’s services, Ofsted has said.
Children's care in Northamptonshire remains inadequate
Children’s social care in Northamptonshire has failed to improve on its inadequate Ofsted rating following a visit by inspectors.
Improvements for Worcestershire children's services
Worcestershire CC’s children’s services have improved since they were rated inadequate three years ago, with families better cared for now, Ofsted has said.
Government: Brum no longer requires children's commissioner
Birmingham City Council no longer requires a Government-appointed commissioner to run its children’s services, the Department for Education (DfE) had announced.
Children's services progress 'slow and uneven'
Ofsted has described the progress of Reading BC to improve its children’s services as ‘slow, uneven and not always sustained’.
ADCS conference: More councils improve Ofsted ratings after regime change
A greater number of councils are receiving better Ofsted ratings for their children’s services after the inspectorate introduced a ‘more proportionate’ regime.
Put communities in charge of public service inspection
Adam Lent considers the merits of ‘replacing inspectors swooping in and out every few years’ with a community-led approach that focuses on ongoing improvement, not just one-off inspection.
High needs kids: which councils are best?
The system for children with special educational needs is not working. Leo Jones argues that no-one seems to have asked what outcomes were achieved or what value the money has brought – until now
Improvement notice handed to Hull children's services
Hull City Council children’s services have been issued with an improvement notice from the Department of Education.
Wakefield orders new IT following 'serious problems'
Wakefield Council has ordered the immediate procurement of a new IT system following criticism from a watchdog.
How Gateshead Council Learning & Skills is using tech to deliver quality assurance
Sonya Anderson, senior adult learning and skills manager at Gateshead Council Learning & Skills, explains the value of having an effective self-assessment and improvement planning resource.
Trafford handed improvement notice
The Government has ordered Trafford MBC to improve its inadequate children’s care within 15 months.
'Slow progress' two years after inadequate judgement
Gloucestershire CC is making ‘slow progress’ in improving its services for its children and young people two years after it was judged inadequate, Ofsted has found.
Hull commits £2m to improve ‘inadequate’ children’s services
Hull City Council has promised to ‘accelerate’ its improvement plans and invest an extra £2m into its children’s services after they were rated ‘inadequate’ by Ofsted.
‘Significant areas of weakness’ found in Stockton’s SEND provision
Watchdogs have criticised the pace of improvements in provision for children with special educational needs and disability (SEND) in Stockton-on-Tees.
Elvery: Improving children's outcomes is top priority after Ofsted blow
West Sussex CC’s boss Nathan Elvery has said improving outcomes for the most vulnerable children is the council’s ‘top priority’ after Ofsted rated services inadequate.
Inspectors criticise council's pace of improvement
The overall pace of improvement in Reading Council’s children’s services has ‘not been sufficient’ three years since the authority was judged inadequate, Ofsted inspectors have said.