David Bell, the chief inspector of schools, last week announced that joint area reviews would start in September 2005, subject to the passage of the Children Bill through Parliament. A small number of pilots will take place before this in areas that are yet to be confirmed.
David Hawker, vice chair of the association, said the reviews would need to look at the progress local authorities had made in joining up their services.
While failing to join up services was not a reason for automatic failure by inspectors, authorities not making steps to do this deserved a "bad judgment", he added.
Initial responses to Ofsted's consultation on the integrated inspection of children's services, launched in May (Children Now, 19-25 May), reveal scepticism over how effectively inspectorates will work together in practice.
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