LGA accuse ‘blinkered’ Ofsted over child abuse inspections

The true quality of activity to tackle child abuse and neglect across the country could be being obscured because of Ofsted’s blinkered approach to inspecting children’s services, local government leaders have warned.

The Local Government Association (LGA), which represents councils in England and Wales, is calling for an overhaul of the way children’s services are inspected, so the roles of everyone involved in protecting vulnerable children are monitored and included in a judgment.

They say, the current Ofsted arrangements for the inspection of children’s services are too narrow, taking a limited view of council performance and failing to assess the contribution of crucial agencies such as health and the police.

The warning came as senior local government leaders attended a summit on child sexual exploitation, jointly organised by the LGA, Solace and the Association of Directors of Children’s Services (ADCS).

Cllr David Simmonds, Chairman of the LGA’s Children and Young People Board, said: “Keeping children safe is the most important thing that councils do, but we know we cannot do it alone. Protecting children does not fall only to councils, but to the police, health services, schools and local groups. Inspections must reflect this. It is not fair to the children we are working to protect that Ofsted inspections only focus on council children’s services, failing to properly assess the essential work done by other organisations.

“The local government summit on child sexual exploitation brings together council leaders with police, the NHS and children’s charities. We all recognise that it is only by working together to improve the way we protect children in the future that this evil crime can be eradicated and victims given the confidence to come forward.

“We need scrutiny processes to adopt the same approach, so every organisation involved in child protection is examined during an inspection. Councils are committed to this joint work; we need inspection processes to adapt so nothing falls through the cracks.”

The LGA has previously raised concerns that Ofsted is too media-focused and can no longer be relied upon to deliver trustworthy judgments.