Ofsted
Adult social care inspections ahead
Whitehall officials are drawing up a controversial adult social care inspections system after the passing of a new law.
Council to retain children's services control
North East Lincolnshire Council has been ordered to work with another authority to improve its children’s services.
Government intervenes over council's 'inadequate' children's services
The Government has issued a statutory direction to Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council forcing it to improve its children’s social care services.
Gloucestershire improvement notice lifted
An improvement notice issued to Gloucestershire CC’s children’s services has been lifted.
West Sussex to retain control of children's services
The Department for Education had ordered the establishment of a company to run children’s services after it was judged to be inadequate by Ofsted in 2019.
Councils to be allowed to set up multi-academy trusts
Local authority leaders have welcomed the Government’s plan to allow councils to set up and run their own multi-academy trusts.
South Gloucestershire handed improvement notice
The Government has issued an improvement notice to South Gloucestershire Council following concerns about its children’s services.
EXCLUSIVE: Government has no action plan for improving children's social care
The Government has admitted it does not have a single detailed action plan to deliver high-quality care to all children despite previously claiming one existed.
Call for chief and leader to quit after Star death
A senior Bradford city councillor has called for the chief executive and leader to quit in the aftermath of the death of Star Hobson.
Ofsted finds 'no improvement' at St Helens
Children’s services at St Helens MBC have not improved despite an injection of increased funding, Ofsted has concluded.
Leadership blamed for 'inadquate' children's services
‘Instability’ in senior leadership has led to ‘serious failures’ in Bury MBC’s children’s services, Ofsted has found.
Spielman: No silver bullet for children's social care
Ofsted chief inspector Amanda Spielman has warned there is no ‘silver bullet’ to the long-term problems in the children’s social care sector.
Care managers 'unaware' of weaknesses in service
Children’s services at Halton BC have undergone a ‘deterioration’ since the council was judged to require improvement, a watchdog has found.
National review after concerns at children's homes
Education secretary Nadhim Zahawi has commissioned a national review in the wake of Ofsted deregistering two residential children’s homes operating in Doncaster after safeguarding concerns.
Council pledges to support children after services rated ‘inadequate’
The leadership of North East Lincolnshire Council has pledged to protect and support young people after the local authority’s children’s services were judged ‘inadequate’ overall.
Watchdog's concern over deprivation of liberty orders
Ofsted highlighted a ‘huge rise’ in the use of deprivation of liberty orders by councils.
Slough accepts damning SEND report
Watchdogs have demanded action from Slough Council to address ‘significant areas of weakness’ in its services for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
Watchdog calls for mandatory transfer scheme
Ofsted has joined calls for councils to be required to take in unaccompanied asylum-seeking children.
Putting it right
What does the future hold for children’s social care and what are the priorities for reform? Ann McGauran reports from a Westminster Education Forum conference.
Transforming services through COVID
Keeping children’s services going through a pandemic was hard enough, but St Helens MBC has embarked on its own journey of transformation, as Jim Leivers explains.
