BIG INTERVIEW: The inspectors will call - David Singleton, head ofpost-compulsory education, Ofsted

Ivan Lewis, the young people's minister in the Department for Education and Skills, let it be known last month that the education inspectorate Ofsted will soon be casting a far beadier eye on youth work than it has in the past. And if that wasn't enough to send local authorities scurrying, the rolling programme of inspections of Connexions partnerships that has just kicked off ought to do the trick.

The report for Coventry & Warwickshire was out last week(YPN, 2-8 April).

Those for Lincolnshire & Rutland and Cheshire & Warrington are out this week.

It all signals a new level of scrutiny of work with young people that takes place outside the formal school setting, and it promises to be a far cry from the historical situation where inspections of local authority youth services have been sporadic and with little follow-up done.

David Singleton, head of Ofsted's post-compulsory education division, says: "The youth service has been a bit of a Cinderella service until recently, and the quality of provision was largely determined by the attitude of local authorities. The secretary of state believes that there is room for a greater consistency in youth services, as many of them are run by different council departments, which has led to inconsistencies in provision across the UK."

Current talks between Ofsted and the Department for Education and Skills will see a greater spotlight being trained on youth services during the next three years, if all goes to plan (see panel).

Sheila Brown, who works alongside Singleton as assistant divisional manager for post-compulsory education, explains why: "The Government's agenda to ensure all young people are in education, employment and training with the launch of Connexions has raised the importance of youth work.

So, to us, it seems absurd not to complete the picture, especially since the youth service is a key partner to Connexions. This will enable us to comment on the state of play and make recommendations."

Both Singleton and Brown are qualified HMIs (Her Majesty's Inspectors) and are involved in the Connexions inspections. The overall remit of their division is to inspect provision of education for 16 to 19-year-olds, which, along with colleges and further education institutions, includes secure units, prisons, Connexions and youth services.

Proposals include carrying out youth service inspections from January, when the next round of local education authority inspections start. Singleton says it is logical to co-ordinate inspection of a local authority's formal education provision with inspection of the work that is done outside the classroom, although this is still in development.

Around 150 local authorities will be comprehensively examined over the the next three years. Although Ofsted will not be burrowing deeply into any issues until this is done, it will enable national comparisons to be carried out.

Secondment opportunities for youth sector workers to become trained as inspectors are being explored. These, it is believed, would give greater credibility to the inspection and offer insights into services for young people.

Another important element of the inspections, which will include Connexions and local authority-funded voluntary youth organisations, will be the inclusion of young people in the inspection process.

"Young people's involvement has always been written into the common inspection framework, so it is not new," says Singleton. "Whereas in colleges their opinions are sought through interviews, here young people will accompany inspectors to meetings at drop-in centres and group work, to work with them in making judgments."

Broadening the inspection base will also mean the inclusion of local employers. "We will interview employers with modern apprenticeship schemes to find out how effectively the partnership is affecting the employability of young people," says Singleton.

Youth services will get 12 weeks' notice before inspection, with evidence- gathering making up the first stage and a planned observation programme making up the second. There is an emphasis on data collection, and principal youth officers will be required to complete a self-assessment schedule providing evidence to back up their judgments.

Re-inspections will also become a feature, giving an unsatisfactory service a chance to pull up its socks and create an action plan for change. Singleton says: "We don't roll up our sleeves and make changes ourselves, but we will help support the service by indicating areas of improvement. The secretary of state will intervene if necessary."

AIMS OF INSPECTIONS

- To ensure public money is being spent appropriately

- To frame advice to decision-makers, including the secretary of state

- To provide pointers and recommendations to those running the service

- To help young people make choices in the provision of services to them.