It is time for Ofsted to reconsider its remit

There are some worrying signs for social care work at Ofsted – slipping inspection timescales, stretched human and financial resources, and lack of stability in leadership to name but a few. Taken together, they indicate an organisation that is creaking under pressure.

With every likelihood that this week’s Spending Review will result in a further budget reduction, Ofsted has to look again at what it can realistically offer. It has already shrunk inspection teams in a bid to complete the current single inspection framework (SIF) cycle by the extended deadline of March 2017.

It is vital this timeframe does not slip any further, as only once the SIF is complete can Ofsted embark on a new round of inspections using a reformed system. Finding a process that measures the right things, accurately reflects quality and is less resource intensive for children’s services and the inspectorate itself is a tall order, but one that must be vigorously pursued.

There are three key things Ofsted can do to achieve this long-term goal and see it through the immediate choppy waters. First, it must repair its relationship with those it inspects. Children’s services leaders have long called for the SIF to be scrapped as they believe it has set the bar unrealistically high at a time when demand is rising and funding squeezed.

While this is unlikely to happen, Ofsted can no longer ignore the impact that this perfect storm is having on services. Talking about this in its judgments would go a long way to restoring its credibility in the eyes of the sector, even if it does not change the judgments meted out.

Second, it has to address long-term staffing issues. The churn in senior social care management this year has been unhelpful. Installing Eleanor Schooling as social care director until next autumn has bought it time to find a more long-term appointment. With an aging workforce, the pressure is also growing for Ofsted to find inspectors tuned into new safeguarding challenges.

This will be key if it is to be effective and avoid failings that can damage its reputation. Schooling has already said she wants to recruit more inspectors directly from frontline practice, but how realistic that is when recruitment to the sector has never been tougher is questionable.

Another option would be to establish with local authorities secondment programmes where senior practitioners learn the ropes at the inspectorate, bringing much needed insight into the realities of today’s frontline challenges. They would then be able to feed back into their authority the knowledge they have gained while at the inspectorate.

Third, Ofsted must reconsider its remit. Many believe Ofsted is inspecting too much. A debate is needed on whether breadth or depth of inspection is what is desired. This should consider if joint targeted area inspections of safeguarding arrangements are realistic in this financial climate.

Even the architect of the SIF, Jacky Tiotto, now director of children’s services at Bexley Council, says inspecting core services for child protection, looked-after children and supporting families at risk should be the limit of Ofsted’s remit.

The next few years will be difficult for children’s services and Ofsted, but it will be even more so for providers and children if there is not a major rethink on what is expected from inspection.  

derren.hayes@markallengroup.com