Editorial - Ofsted’s overall ratings do nothing to improve practice

The overall rating delivered under Ofsted’s single inspection framework (SIF) has long been criticised for failing to properly reflect performance across the complex mix of children’s social care services (Analysis, p8). For example, authorities where leadership is weak automatically receive a low overall rating, even if standards of other services are high. A quarter of departments have been rated“inadequate” under the SIF, with 80 per cent having now gone throughthe process. By comparison, 13 per cent of departments were ratedinadequate for safeguarding and child protection, and one per cent forlooked-after children’s services under the old inspection system.

The 2012/13 Ofsted social care annual report, published a month after the launch of the SIF in November 2013, reported outcomes for looked-after children to be improving. The deterioration in ratings since then would suggest practice standards have fallen. With budgets tight and demand rising, that is possible.