Intervention Level In Authorities Rated Inadequate by Ofsted

Inadequate LAs receive quarterly monitoring visits from Ofsted in addition to the usual focused visits.  This blog post analyses what is currently happening with  LAs rated inadequate by Ofsted. 

The first query is “sufficient evidence of persistent or systemic failure.” If the answer is “YES”, then the Government issues a statutory direction and appoints a Commissioner to assess whether services should remain with the council. 

If there is not “sufficient evidence of persistent or systemic failure” then there will be a Government-appointed Improvement Advisor (who may be an individual or a company) who will work with the council. The Ofsted inspection framework can be found here  with summary of framework changes here 

LOCAL AUTHORITIES RATED INADEQUATE

BIRMINGHAM 

Rated good for children’s services by Ofsted in 2023 but SEND services are under DfE Direction October 2021 after failing to make sufficient progress in 12 our of 13 areas of significant weakness in SEND services.

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BOURNEMOUTH CHRISTCHURCH AND POOLE

• On 1 April 2019, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole local authority was created by merging the local authorities of Poole, Bournemouth and part of Dorset.
• Serious weaknesses identified during Ofsted focused visit, November 2020 via this page 
• It was reported in February 2021 that Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole [BCP] plans to increase its children’s services budget by 12% provide bonuses for social workers and overhaul front door services, to turn around performance
• Ofsted full inspection  February 2022  – BCP found inadequate 
• DfE Direction April 2022  to work with John Coughlan as Improvement Advisor 
• Ofsted monitoring visit November 2022 
• Ofsted monitoring visit May 2023 
• Ofsted monitoring visit  January 2024 
• Insolvency warning January 2024 
• Safety Valve debate full council February 2024 
• DfE Direction SEND Services February 2024. More John Coughlan appointed SEND Improvement Advisor March 2024 

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BRADFORD 

• Ofsted ILACS October 2018   Some children made to wait while others “subject to unnecessary and disproportionate social work processes”  More 
• November 2018 Interim Director Gladys Rhodes White
• DfE Improvement Notice December 2018
• Bradford DC apologises to social workers after slur, April 2019
• Mark Douglas , formerly Doncaster to replace Gladys Rhodes White July 2019 as DC
• Ofsted July 2019   not improving fast enough, caseloads too high, management weakness, inappropriate referrals  More
• Ofsted December 2019   pace of change too slow
• Bradford Youth Offending team fails inspection  January 2020. More 
• Ofsted March 2020     some early signs of progress, still many issues with services for looked after children
• Ofsted February 2021 via this page  slow progress, significant weaknesses remain
• Ofsted monitoring visit  June 2021 
• Ofsted SEND inspection  Written Statement of Action required September 2021 
• DIRECTION, SEPTEMBER 2021
• Star Hobson murder conviction December 2021
• Children’s services removed from council and transferred to independent trust January 2022 
• Commissioner’s report published February 2022. Staff reported working in “an environment of constant change” with many changes in leadership and management since 2018  More 
• National Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel to look at Star Hobson case as well as Arthur Labinjo Hughes, updated terms of reference February 2022 
• Revised DfE Direction February 2022 The Council has agreed with the Secretary of State to voluntarily establish a wholly owned, not-for-profit company (children’s services trust), which will discharge the Council’s children’s social care functions on its behalf. The Secretary of State also intends to appoint a Children’s Services
  Commissioner for Bradford. 
• Ofsted monitoring visit March 2022 
• Ofsted SEND  June 2022 required to produce Written Statement of Action to tackle areas of significant weakness 
• Ofsted September 2022 – improved provision for care leavers. More 
• Appointment Charlotte Ramsden Chief Executive new Trust October 2022 to start in April 2023 
• Ofsted full re-inspection January 2023 again found inadequate “Corporate leaders continue to lack understanding of the scale of improvement required and what actions, time and resources are needed to make improvements happen”
• Ofsted monitoring visit August 2023
• Ofsted monitoring visit December 2023 

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BURY 

• Rated inadequate by Ofsted in December 2021 
• DfE Improvement Notice January 2022 (DfE web page incorrectly says 2021)
• DfE has appointed an adviser to oversee progress. Bury will have to submit an improvement plan to the department by the end of March. Officials will review progress against this every six months. In January 2022, the authority said the improvement plan would involve action to reduce caseloads, improve its recruitment offer to social workers, boost learning and development and enhance workforce wellbeing.
• Ofsted monitoring visit  November 2022 –pockets of improvement in service delivery
• Ofsted monitoring visit May 2023 
• Ofsted monitoring visit September 2023 
• Ofsted monitoring visit December 2023 

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DEVON 

• Found inadequate by Ofsted, March 2020
• DfE Direction   March 2020, LA must cooperate with government-appointed Commissioner
• Additional funding agreed by council , May 2020
• Ofsted focused visit   July 2021
• Ofsted monitoring visit March 2022 
• Ofsted SEND July 2022 WSOA revisit – The area has not made sufficient progress in addressing any of the significant weaknesses  
• Ofsted monitoring visit July 2022 
• DfE Improvement Notice for SEND September 2022 
• Revised DfE Direction October 2022 – council must continue co-operating with DfE-appointed Children’s Services Commissioner, Matt Dunkley
• Ofsted monitoring visit January 2023 
• Ofsted monitoring visit May 2023 
• 6th Ofsted monitoring visit October 2023 so due for full reinspection soon (Ref.

  https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/inspecting-local-authority-childrens-services-from-2018/inspecting-local-authority-childrens-services  ​”Pathway 3) 

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HALTON 

Not rated inadequate but issued with Improvement Notice January 2022 after Ofsted Focused Visit November 2021 

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HAVERING 

Down from Good in 2018 ,now rated Inadequate by Ofsted February 2024 

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HEREFORDSHIRE 

• Herefordshire children’s services will undergo external review and an independently monitored improvement plan following case where social workers ‘ignored’ senior judge and experienced psychiatrist.  April 2021
• Ofsted focused visit August 2021  Inspectors looked at the local authority’s arrangements for children in need and children subject to a child protection plan. 
• Ofsted full inspection September 2022 – confirms inadequate rating ”

  Children and young people in Herefordshire are not protected from harm. Protective responses are too often delayed and are not sufficiently robust. Fundamental areas of social work practice are weak. Assessments across the service are poor.”

•  DfE statutory direction   September 2022 – council must co-operate with government-appointed commissioner.  Eleanor Brazil subsequently appointed. 
• Commissioner’s report March 2023, children’s services to stay with council for now, but review decision in 6 months to look at alternative delivery models (eg transferred to independent body out of council’s hands) if sufficient improvement not made 
• Revised Statutory Direction March 2023, Eleanor Brazil to continue as commissioner, also Gladys Rhodes White as Improvement Advisor; council must seek improvement partner from high performing LA 
• Ofsted monitoring visit July 2023 
• Ofsted monitoring visit October 2023 

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HERTFORDSHIRE 

• Failed Ofsted SEND inspection October 2023.  SEND Improvement Plan  December 2023. Re-inspection in 2025. 
• Monitoring meetings parliamentary question February 2024 
• DfE Improvement Notice SEND services January 2024 – added to published list February 2024 

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KENT 

Children’s services rated Outstanding by Ofsted in 2022 but DfE Improvement Notice for SEND March 2023  failed to make sufficient progress against 9 areas of weakness in special educational needs and disability (SEND) service provision. More on what this means here  

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LIVERPOOL 

• Ofsted inspection May 2023, down from Requires Improvement to Inadequate.
• DfE Improvement Notice June 2023 must work with DfE appointed Improvement Advisor for 24 months  

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NORTH EAST LINCOLNSHIRE

• Ofsted found problems on focused ILACS visit   December 2019
• DfE Improvement Notice    December 2019
• DfE Letter July 2020 re covid 19    More 
• Ofsted focused visit June 2021 
• Ofsted full inspection  November 2021 – OVERALL GRADE INADEQUATE 
• Director Children’s Services resigns December 2021 
• DfE Direction January 2022  DfE-appointed Commissioner Peter Dwyer to report by March 2022  More 
• Commissioner’s Report June 1st 2022 
• Revised DfE Direction  June 1st 2022 requiring the LA to complete a formal partnership with a local authority, identified by the DfE, to deliver such of its children’s social care functions deemed appropriate
• Ofsted December 2022   Permanence planning for children has not improved since the standard inspection in November 2021
• Ofsted March 2023 – monitoring visit looking at service for care leavers 
• Ofsted June 2023 – monitoring visit looking at Front Door service 
• Ofsted November 2023 monitoring visit 
• Ofsted February 2024 6th monitoring visit so due for full reinspection soon 

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NORTH NORTHAMPTONSHIRE

Ofsted March 2024 failed SEND inspection, monitoring inspection in 18 months, full SEND reinspection within 3 years 

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NOTTINGHAM 

• Graded inadequate by Ofsted, September 2022
• DfE Improvement Notice October 2022 – council to work with government-appointed advisor Lou Williams  
• Ofsted monitoring visit August 2023 
• Section 114 Notice November 2023 unable to balance budget 
• Ofsted monitoring visit January 2024 

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OLDHAM 

Improvement notice for SEND services November 2023 following failed re-inspection . More on what this means here 

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OXFORDSHIRE

Improvement notice for SEND services November 2023. More on what this means here   

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PETERBOROUGH 

• DfE Improvement Notice for SEND services August 2023. More on what this means here   
• Children’s services rated inadequate by Ofsted January 2024 

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PLYMOUTH

• Required to submit an Action Plan after focused visit to look at arrangements for front door services. Ofsted February 2023
• DfE Improvement Notice May 2023 
• DfE Improvement Notice for SEND November 2023.  More on what this means here   

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SCILLY ISLES 

• Judged inadequate by Ofsted in August 2023
• DfE Improvement Notice November 2023 must work with government-appointed advisor 

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SEFTON 

• Improvement Notice June 2021 following Ofsted focused visit May 2021
• Martin Birch new Director Children’s Services April 2022 
• Ofsted May 2022 – full inspection, rated Inadequate 
• DfE Direction May 2022 requiring the council to co-operate with a commissioner appointed by the Secretary of State for Education – Paul Moffatt
• LGA peer review discussed at Cabinet meeting July 2022 
• Commissioner’s Report October 2022 – handing over to a trust could be a distraction + not currently recommending another council take over either. But Sefton must show significant improvement in next 9 months to keep control of children’s services. 
• Revised DfE statutory Direction November 2022 – Must cooperate with Paul Boyce new commissioner. Some improvement. Still inadequate
• Paul Boyce commissioner warning, February 2023 
• Ofsted monitoring visit March 2023
• Ofsted monitoring visit August 2023   
• Ofsted monitoring visit  January 2024 

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SHROPSHIRE

Rated good by Ofsted in 2022 but January 2024 Ofsted focused visit found serious and widespread systemic failings leading to weakness in child protection practice leaving children at risk of inadequate protection and significant harm 

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SLOUGH 

DfE 7th Direction August 2023 https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/direction-issued-to-slough-borough-council–4#full-publication-update-history – continue to work with DfE appointed commissioner who will review delivery of children’s services currently with Children’s Trust + work in partnership with the Department for Levelling Up Housing and Communities  Commissioners to rebuild finance and governance capacity. (Ofsted rated out of inadequate to requires improvement in January 2023  https://files.ofsted.gov.uk/v1/file/50211331) 

DfE Direction SEND August 2023.  Lack of progress towards Written Statement of Action 2022 – must now work with DfE appointed commissioner Paul Moffat, reporting on future delivery arrangements by March 2024. More on what this means here   

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SOLIHULL

• Improvement Notice February 2022  following Ofsted Joint Targeted Area Inspection February 2022 after the death of Arthur Labinjo-Hughes
• DfE appoints Alan Wood as Commissioner October 2022 
• DfE Direction November 2022 must cooperate with government-appointed commissioner who will report by January 2023
• Ofsted full inspection January 2023 – inadequate in all areas
• Commissioner Alan Wood report published March 2023. Discussion of pros and cons of Alternative Delivery Model and factors to take into consideration. Recommends services to stay with council for now and continue to work with a commissioner. 3 years to overhaul children’s services.  More 
• Revised DfE Direction March 2023 in light of commissioner’s report. Must work with commissioner and develop comprehensive 3 year improvement plan. 
• Birmingham partnership to start in July 
• Ofsted  monitoring visit November 2023 
• Ofsted monitoring visit February 2024 

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SOUTH GLOUCESTERSHIRE 

• Improvement Notice March 2022 issued after priority actions identified during Ofsted focused visit November 2021  
• Ofsted focused visit October 2022 

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SOUTH TYNESIDE 

• Rated Inadequate by Ofsted, May 2023  
• DfE Improvement Notice July 2023 

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SWINDON 

• Rated Inadequate by Ofsted, September 2023 (previously GOOD)
• DfE Improvement Notice November 2023 (only added to DfE list on 12 January 2024)  

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SUFFOLK 

Rated Outstanding for children’s services in 2019 but has failed SEND inspection in 2017, 2019 and again in 2024. Ofsted SEND January 2024 “children get lost in the system and fall through the cracks … Families resort to making complaints to receive the support they have a right to and need” 

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TAMESIDE 

• Failed Ofsted SEND inspection January 2022 – 10 areas of weakness, Written Statement of Action required 
• Ofsted focused visit report published June 2022 – identifying areas of concern 
• DfE improvement notice July 2022   
• Ofsted February 2023 rated Inadequate again, having previously been Inadequate 2016 – 2019 then Requires Improvement from 2019

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