Ofsted

Latest Ofsted

CHILDREN'S SERVICES

Council changes approach to providers after contract collapse

By Joe Lepper | 13 October 2026

Croydon LBC has pledged to be ‘clearer’ with children’s services providers ‘about what we want services to achieve’ following the collapse of an £8.6m contract.

POLICY AND POLITICS

'A denial of democracy'

By Heather Jameson | 08 October 2026

Commissioner-led intervention is ‘problematic’ and a ‘denial of local democracy’, the chief execu...

IMPROVEMENT

Liverpool's recovery: how a council moved beyond intervention

By Heather Jameson | 08 October 2026

Liverpool City Council has shed its final improvement notice and emerged from intervention five y...

IMPROVEMENT

Windsor and Maidenhead Council: Back from the brink

By Stephen Evans | 08 October 2026

Windsor and Maidenhead Council has changed from a council on the edge to one that is balancing bu...

CHILDREN'S SERVICES

Cracking down on profiteering

By Paul Marinko | 06 October 2026

Following our focus on sector concerns at national efforts to curb the use of unregistered childr...

CHILDREN'S SERVICES

Downgrading councils who use illegal children's homes holds sector to 'unattainable standard'

By Ann McGauran | 29 September 2026

Ofsted proposals to downgrade councils that use unregistered placements would hold local authorit...

Dudley heavily criticised by Ofsted

By Neil Merrick | 25 August 2026

Children’s services provided by Dudley MBC have been heavily criticised by Ofsted.

REORGANISATION

28 years later - lessons from Herefordshire's unitary journey

By Cllr Roger Phillips | 19 August 2026

Reflecting on Herefordshire Council’s reorganisation 28 years ago, leader Cllr Jonathan Lester an...

CHILDREN'S SERVICES

LGR's shadow over children's welfare

By Ann McGauran | 08 July 2026

As the sector’s children’s services chiefs gather at their annual conference in Manchester, Colin...

CHILDREN'S SERVICES

Ofsted set to punish councils for unregistered children's homes

By Joe Lepper | 03 July 2026

Ofsted is looking to use future inspections to penalise councils that use illegal unregistered ch...

CHILDREN'S SERVICES

Norfolk's vision pays off for children

By Sara Tough | 24 June 2026

Norfolk CC has received the top Ofsted grading for its children’s services department, with outst...