Intervention Level In Authorities Rated Inadequate by Ofsted

242 Replies

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.

————————————————————————————-

BOURNEMOUTH CHRISTCHURCH AND POOLE

————————————————————————————————————–

BRADFORD 

BURY 

—————————————————-

DEVON 

———————————————————————————-

HALTON 

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

HAVERING 

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

—————————————————————————————————————–

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 

HERTFORDSHIRE 

———————————————————————————-

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  

—————————————————————————-

LIVERPOOL 

————————————————————————————————————-

NORTH EAST LINCOLNSHIRE

NORTH NORTHAMPTONSHIRE

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

———————————————————————————————————————

NOTTINGHAM 

OLDHAM 

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

————————————————————————————-

OXFORDSHIRE

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

——————————————————————————————

PETERBOROUGH 

——————————————————————————————————-

PLYMOUTH

SCILLY ISLES 

SEFTON 

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 

———————————————————————————————————————

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   

——————————————————————

SOLIHULL

SOUTH GLOUCESTERSHIRE 

SOUTH TYNESIDE 

SWINDON 

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” 

—————————————————————————————————–

TAMESIDE 

—————-

242 thoughts on “Intervention Level In Authorities Rated Inadequate by Ofsted”

  47. Fiona Nicholson Post author

    May 17th added new direction for Croydon + link to Worcestershire May 2018 SEND inspection letter (written statement of action required) and Surrey 2016 SEND inspection letter (written statement of action required)

    Like

    Reply ↓

Leave a reply to Fiona Nicholson Cancel reply