Issue - meetings

Background:

This report provided Cabinet with the findings from the July 2013 Ofsted unannounced inspection into the arrangements for looked after children in Medway.

It was noted that the current Ofsted framework had four areas that were graded as part of an inspection. These were:

·    Capacity to improve

·    Outcomes for looked after children and young people

·    The quality of provision

·    Leadership and management.

Taken together these four areas lead to an ‘overall effectiveness’ grading.

It was reported that in terms of overall effectiveness Medway was judged to be inadequate, however the ‘capacity to improve’ judgement was rated as adequate. Details of the findings contained within the Ofsted report were set out; this included the findings that no child was found to be at immediate risk of harm, an acknowledgement that Medway was actively addressing inadequacies and that it was too soon to see the impact of changes already introduced.

Members were advised that an independently chaired Improvement Board would oversee the implementation of the actions contained within the Improvement Notice issued in relation to the 2013 Safeguarding Inspection, and the areas for improvement in both that and this Ofsted report.

It was reported that Ofsted were moving to a new inspection regime for children’s social care, bringing together safeguarding and looked after children inspections into a single approach to reflect the ‘journey of the child’. Ofsted planned a further change for 2014/2015 with the development of a multi-agency inspection regime for children being introduced.

Reasons:

To note the findings of the recent Ofsted inspection and the arrangements that are being implemented to secure urgent and sustainable service improvements.