Letters to the Editor: Inspection burden can be cut

The government's decision to scrap the annual assessment of children's services departments is a welcome step to removing bureaucratic burdens on local authorities. The benefits of increased transparency will only be felt if performance data is made public in an easily understandable format that is useful both to the public and to local authorities themselves in measuring and comparing their performance.

The current format of the annual assessment achieves neither of these aims: the burden of data collection and submission are not matched to the benefits from publishing the data in this form. While there may not be much of a direct cost benefit to ceasing the annual assessment when local authorities will have to publish their own data, local authorities will be better placed to present this information appropriately for their area.

We understand that there may be some delay before the legislative basis for the annual assessment can be removed. This may present an opportunity to undertake wider reform of inspection at the same time, following from any recommendations made by the Munro Review.

There is scope for reducing the burden of inspection on local authority children's services departments, while ensuring that minimum standards of performance are being met, and for increasing the contribution of peer support mechanisms to ensuring continued improvement. We look forward to continuing constructive discussions with Ofsted as to how this can be achieved.

Eleanor Schooling, chair, Association of Directors of Children's Services standards, performance and inspection committee

Arrest of male nursery worker

Whatever the outcome following the disturbing news of the arrest of a male nursery nurse in Birmingham ("Nursery assistant arrested on suspicion of child abuse"), let us hope it results in a thorough inquiry and sensible discussion around safeguarding rather than a witch-hunt aimed at male child carers.

Despite the best efforts of many nursery school managers, young men wanting to enter the childcare profession are already subject to severe prejudice in some quarters. That might explain why so few are employed, especially in state nurseries.

The tragedy of this is that many children (particularly in needy areas) are deprived of what might be the only positive male role model they might encounter.

The details of this case are already deeply worrying. It would be helpful if the fallout from it doesn't include the barring of men from joining a profession where they could do so much good.

Peter Gibson, media manager, Rathbone