All five Every Child Matters outcomes are of equal importance, Ofsted has said as more local authorities receive their joint area review results.
Staffordshire County Council, one of the first authorities to beinspected under the new regime, told Children Now that its review wasfocused overwhelmingly on safeguarding (Children Now, 26 October1November 2005).
But Flo Hadley, divisional manager of children's services inspection atOfsted, said that all outcomes were "equally important".
She also insisted joint area reviews added value to annual performanceassessments, after some councils told Children Now that the reviews weredistracting them from implementing changes already agreed.
Two councils, Calderdale and Stoke are appealing against the joint areareview judgments. Staffordshire has now dropped its complaint.
