The world of children's services is complex and multi dimensional and there is almost never a single ‘right' solution to a problem. As directors, we are constantly challenged by the need to ensure that we encourage creativity, distributing leadership to where it needs to be, while maintaining a grip on delivering high quality services that are improving the lives of children and young people in our local area.

The only sustainable way to do this is to develop a culture of rigorous self-evaluation. Inspection should help to reassure us that our services continue to be safe, confirm our strengths and weaknesses and allow us to identify areas for improvement. But, it can never be the main driver of quality.