Ofsted chief inspector Sir Michael Wilshaw has today announced plans to combine into a single framework the monitoring of local authority child protection arrangements with services for children who are looked after.

The move effectively delays plans to launch this June a new multi-agency child protection inspection system, and HMCI Sir Michael also confirmed Ofsted had ditched plans to inspect services for looked after children separately.

Instead a new single framework for inspection will operate from September, with the consultation and piloting of the new system starting from June.

Sir Michael Wilshaw said inspections must get to the heart of how well vulnerable children are identified and supported.

‘I believe we can only do this effectively through a single inspection framework that examines the effectiveness of help, protection and care from the time it is first needed until a young person who is looked after has been successfully helped to begin their life as a young adult, Sir Michael said.

He added that recent pilot multi-agency inspections of child protection were a mixed success, raising ‘a number of issues and concerns that I have been unable to ignore'.

Alan Wood, Vice President of the Association of Directors of Children's Services (ADCS) said he agreed with HMCI Sir Michael's decision to consider a new single inspection framework to look at child protection and children looked after including adoption and fostering functions.

Mr Wood said efforts should be focused on seeing how a new framework could ‘test, challenge and judge' the specific accountabilities of each agency in protecting and helping children, young people and their families.

‘The inspection framework plays a pivotal role in the protection of the most vulnerable children in our community and on balance we believe it is better to delay the new framework in the interests of making it as effective as possible,' said Mr Wood.