Social care inspectorate Ofsted has been given an overwhelming vote of no-confidence by social services directors for its response to the Baby Peter case. Delegates at the children and adult services conference in Harrogate attacked the regulator for its decision to review ratings and order interventions, following the high-profile case at Haringey LBC. John Coughlan, who stepped in to turn around children's services in Haringey, received three standing ovations after attacking Ofsted for ‘defensiveness to the point of destruction'. He added that safeguarding was becoming a spectator sport, and called for a better response from inspectors. ‘I don't want a bonfire of the quangos, but I want the quango to come together and lead more effectively and to stop using terms like "appalling" in public, when my staff are going out to do the most difficult of jobs in the most difficult of circumstances,' he said. Kim Bromley-Derry, president of the Association of Directors of Children's Services, said the next few months must be spent rebuilding public confidence and preparing for tough spending decisions. Adding to the anger were mixed messages from the Government. Children's minister, Dawn Primarolo, voiced ‘concern' after Ofsted's review of children's services in Cornwall CC found ‘fundamental weakness'. But education secretary, Ed Balls, revealed an end to interventions in Bradford City Council and Hackney LBC. He told the conference he would ‘strike the right balance between support and intervention.' But it was not enough for one senior director who told The MJ: ‘No-one is denying there are problems. But they are long-standing, deep-rooted and will not be solved by kicking us. Departments with problems were given a good going-over to satisfy political masters and the media at a time when we were looking for support.' A senior LGA councillor added: ‘There is real anger among members – and it is justified. When reviews of regulators come around, Ofsted will find it difficult when it needs to "phone a friend".' Ofsted's chief inspector, Christine Gilbert, said: ‘We do need to shift the agenda because it's always the negative that gets reported.'
