Inspections
Council company improves services
A Cheshire West & Chester Council company has continued to improve services, with all seven areas inspected by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) now rated good.
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’.
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.
Information sharing tensions found in child harm review
Legal and ethical tensions between maintaining confidentiality and sharing information are continuing, a review of some of the most serious child protection cases in Scotland has found.
'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.
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.
Newham failing vulnerable children - Ofsted
Vulnerable children in are being ‘failed’ by Newham LBC, an Ofsted report has found.
Inspection endorses Moray children's services leadership
Confidence has been restored in the leadership of children’s services in Moray, according to a new report.
New directors help children's services improve
A new senior leadership team has brought ‘drive, energy and focus’ to Croydon LBC’s efforts to improve after an inadequate Ofsted judgement 18 months ago, inspectors have found.
Powys: Restructure will help improve performance
Powys CC has pledged that a children’s services restructure that will be in place by April will provide ‘better support and outcomes for families’.
Ofsted boost for Calderdale children
Calderdale Council’s children’s services has been rated as good with outstanding features in its latest Ofsted inspection.
Scrutiny chief in failure warning
Failure in local government is likely to become more prevalent in the years ahead due to looming pressures, the chief executive of the Centre for Public Scrutiny (CfPS) has warned.
EXCLUSIVE: Top 10 most productive councils revealed
‘Fetishising failure’ distracts increasingly scarce management time away from improving outcomes, according to a new report naming the top 10 most productive councils in England.
Extra commissioner planned for Northamptonshire
James Brokenshire is expected to appoint an extra commissioner to Northamptonshire CC after inspectors found deteriorating services were leaving vulnerable children at risk of harm.
Inadequate rating for Bradford's children's services
Children in need of help in Bradford are at ‘risk of significant harm’ due to serious failures in council services, an Ofsted report has found.
High staff turnover at 'inadequate' Gloucestershire
Too many Gloucestershire children are experiencing frequent changes of social worker more than a year after the county council was judged inadequate by Ofsted.
Top tips for working with CQC teams
The Care Quality Commission highlighted many positive aspects of Bradford’s local health and social care system in its targeted review. Kersten England and Helen Hirst outline what they learned from the process
Children's services under pressure at embattled council
Powys CC’s children’s services remain ‘under considerable pressure’ as the council attempts to improve from a damning inspection verdict.