Ofsted launches consultation over Cafcass inspections

Proposals laid out by Ofsted, due to be introduced in February next year, are designed to “align Cafcass inspections with Ofsted’s other inspections of children’s social care”, the inspectorate says.

• Analysis: Decade of change - factors driving the rise in care during the 2010

• Inteview: Jacky Tiotto, Cafcass chief executive

The new framework would create a “whole-system” approach of shorter inspections, with more regular contact in-between, a consultation document states, adding that “more frequent engagement will help Ofsted to build a better picture of Cafcass’s practice”. 

The proposals included in the consultation include:

• a 3-yearly national judgment inspection  

• focused visits between judgment inspections, or inclusion in joint targeted area inspections

• annual sharing of a self-evaluation of frontline practice in both public and private law  

• an annual engagement meeting between Ofsted and the Cafcass chief executive and senior leadership team

Three-yearly inspections of the national organisation will continue and will be shorter than under the current framework to reflect “Cafcass’s history of positive inspection outcomes”, the document states. At its most recent Ofsted inspection in 2018, Cafcass was rated "outstanding".

If Cafcass’s performance drops below the level of "good", Ofsted will have the flexibility to extend the inspection. 

During these inspections, Ofsted proposes to make judgments on the quality and effectiveness of Cafcass’s private law and public law practice, and on the impact that its leaders have on practice with children and families.

Under the new plans, individual service areas will no longer receive a graded judgment, inspectors will feed back to each area on its key strengths and areas for improvement at the end of each visit.

Yvette Stanley, Ofsted’s national director for regulation and social care said: “Cafcass has a hugely important role in providing expert social work advice to the family court. I urge anyone working with children and families in the family justice system to give us their views on these proposals.

“The family courts can be a frightening and confusing experience, so good-quality, thoughtful work with children and families is vital. Our proposals retain all the rigour of previous inspections but will be more proportionate, with a greater focus on organisational culture and direct work with children and families.”

The consultation will close on 11 November.