Safeguarding in the new Ofsted

1
Safeguarding in the new Ofsted

• Dee Gasson
• Childrens Directorate
• 22 March 2007

2
Our new remit April 2007

• The new Ofsted brings together
• Current registration and inspection of childcare
  and inspection of schools and colleges
• The Adult Learning Inspectorate (ALI)
• Childrens services work from the Commission for
  Social Care Inspection (CSCI)
• The work relating to the children and family
  courts advisory and support services, from HM
  Inspectorate of Court Administration (HMICA)
• The Childrens Rights Director

3
Directorate structure

• Childrens Directorate (Ofsteds early years plus
  work from CSCI and HMICA Childrens Rights
  Director)
• Education Directorate
• Learning Skills Directorate (ALI functions plus
  Ofsteds college inspection
• Corporate Services Directorate
• Finance Directorate

4
Childrens Directorate areas of activity

• Regulation and inspection of childcare
• Regulation and inspection of social care for
  children and young people
• Inspection of CAFCASS
• Response to serious incidents
• Childrens Rights Director voice for
  disadvantaged children

5
Childrens Directorate continued

• Bi-annual inspections of 2,000 childrens homes
• Annual inspections of 40 residential family
  centres and 240 residential special schools
• Annual inspection of 390 local authority and
  private fostering agencies
• Inspection of 290 local authority and voluntary
  adoption agencies and adoption support agencies
  every three years
• Inspection of boarding at 600 establishments
  every three years
• Inspections of services provided by CAFCASS

6
Serious case reviews - context

• Local authorities duty to inform Ofsted of
  serious incidents/child deaths
• Notifications may or may not involve a regulated
  or inspected setting
• Approximately 220 notifications in 2006
• Of these, 157 were notifications of deaths
• Full serious case reviews in 60 cases

7
Ofsteds role in serious case notifications

• Reviewing serious case notifications should
  they lead to a serious case review?
• Reviewing the outcome of the serious case review
  does it meet the requirements?
• Advice to DfES ministers
• Updating the database

8
Next steps

• Proposals being finalised
• We will liaise with local authorities over the
  proposals
• Her Majestys Chief Inspector intends to write
  to set out proposals
• Once finalised, we will keep them under review to
  ensure they work effectively to safeguard
  children