Looking back over the blog in recent months I think I might
be accused of being a bit negative about Ofsted. So I am resolved to try to be
more positive in future.
So, how do we solve a problem like Ofsted? Abolish it!!
No only kidding, not quite, but nearly.
I think the time has come to create a completely separate
inspectorate of child safeguarding and children’s social care. In fact I would
make it more than an inspectorate and give it some powers to conduct research,
sponsor safety initiatives and disseminate safety knowledge. I’d also give it
some clear responsibility for quality, which, of course, goes hand-in-hand with safety. And I'd make it responsible for overseeing SCRs and organising its own investigations in very serious cases.
And I wouldn't ask it to do inspections that are process-focused, tick-box, poorly focused and judgmental; or to label a third of its 'customers' inadequate without giving a good account of why they are inadequate!!
It might be a little more expensive than having children’s
services inspected by Ofsted, as at present, but not that much more. And I’m
sure one of the benefits would be that overall costs would fall as quality and
safety improves – the costs of low quality and poor safety are quite high.
We could call it (succinctly!) the Office for Quality, Safety, Learning
and Improvement in Child Safeguarding and Children’s Social Care (maybe QualSaf
for short). Its responsibilities would be to:
·
Conduct inspections of service including
unannounced inspections
·
Conduct thematic inspections and supporting
research
·
Conduct or commission research relevant to
quality and safety in children’s services
·
Conduct or oversee enquiries into child deaths
and other disasters
·
Fund and promote a confidential human factors
reporting programme for child protection and safeguarding
·
Be a repository of knowledge about quality and
safety in children’s services
·
Sponsor the dissemination of relevant knowledge
through publication, conferences etc., including regular safety bulletins,
briefings etc.
·
Promote safer practice and foster a reporting
culture in children’s services
·
Contribute to and inform relevant policy
discussions
·
Advise the Secretary of State on all matters
relating to the safety and quality of child safeguarding
I’m going to write to my MP and to Michael Gove, the
Secretary of State for Education, suggesting it. Why not join me? (But write to your own MP, not mine!)
