 2017 Children’s Services Review Update
Message from Jo Olsson | Interim Chief Officer for Childrens Services
Dear Colleague,
You may have heard references to a mock-inspection in Children’s Services, planned to take place sometime in 2017, and I can now confirm that we have commissioned a team of very experienced ex and current Ofsted inspectors to review Devon County Council’s progress in the arrangements for children in need, child protection, looked after children and care leavers. The service review will mirror key aspects of the SIF inspection methodology.
We will get a rigorous and thorough external challenge which will serve as a key milestone, testing the progress we have made since SIF 2015 and testing the accuracy of our recent self-assessment. Whilst the review is of Council services, it will include a focus on partnership working to deliver the outcomes required for children and young people.
Like an Ofsted inspection, the service review will require us to audit a sample of case files before the reviewers arrive onsite and many of you may be involved in this process.
The reviewers will spend five days in Devon, with teams in all four of our localities, tracking and sampling cases, examining the quality of our work and the difference we’re making to the lives of children and families.
The review team have identified the 10 cases to be audited prior to the service reviewers coming onsite. We have a week to audit the cases. We may request information from you regarding these cases and I would be very grateful if you could support us by responding promptly to any such requests.
In the context of the 2015 inadequate judgement for our LSCB, we have asked the reviewers to assess our partnership. The service reviewers will use the audits to develop their Key Lines of Enquiry (KLOE) which they will explore during the onsite week.
This is a great opportunity for us to show the progress we’re making, to
highlight some really strong practice, and for the reviewers to see us
as we are - focused, purposeful and committed to transforming the lives
of Devon’s most vulnerable children. Thank you for your support and I look forward to sharing the learning that emerges from this Service Review with you.
Kind Regards,
Jo Olsson | Interim Chief Officer for Childrens Services
Devon County Council, County Hall, Room 140, Topsham Road, Exeter, Devon EX2 4QD
Contact | 01392 383212
PA: Hannah Washington-Jones Email: hannah.washington-jo@devon.gov.uk
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