Ofsted Inspection Proposals for Visual Identity
Preparing in advance line your ducks up in a row Inspection preparation group select a senior chair and get ownership from corporate colleagues across the LA. Inspection framework do you understand what they are looking for and are you delivering it? If not do you have a strong rationale and improvement programme? Progress since previous inspection action plans even if they are really, really old! Annexe A keep it up to date at all times - especially the data tables. Lay it out in the format in the inspection handbook so it can be easily transferred to the Huddle. Do dummy runs and get people to really interrogate if the data is right and you have the most up-to-date version of everything. Only provide what you are asked for (don t expect them to understand how to use it)! 2
Preparing in advance SEF develop it in advance and keep updating it. We sought guidance from our ADCS regional support staff it was really useful to get an external view. This led to a significant rewrite which was shorter, punchier and more positive. We were still honest about areas for development but also outlined what we do well. PowerPoint presentation we wanted to set out our stall with inspectors so we prepared a PowerPoint in advance that we continuously updated with new information and data so it was always ready to go. We also significantly reviewed this when we refreshed our SEF (inspectors may not want to sit through it but make them)! Structure it around their framework and concentrate on your improvement journey. Make sure you celebrate all that is good. If possible do this jointly with LSCB chair they want to see a joined up approach. 3
Preparing in advance Comms plan have it ready in advance from day 1 week 1. Ours outlined how everyone would be told we d got the call, who would be the core team organising the inspection, when and where they would meet on day 1, how partners would be contacted etc. Case file audit we knew this was a key task that had to be completed by middle of week 2. We had a list of the experienced auditors in the service who would be called on to do this. They all knew in advance the SIF notification days and that if we got the call they would be expected to clear their diaries for the Friday (week 1) and Monday (week 2) to conduct the audit. A guidance document on how the Ofsted CFA would be run had been distributed several times to the list of auditors. Make sure you check and recheck before submission. Make sure your audit tool focusses on progress made/ outcomes for the child and family not just process. 4
Week 1 - Day 1 Big first jobs Get your team together asap keep a consistent core team who manage everything have twice daily keep in touch sessions or KITs we did 7.30/ 8am and 6pm every day. Ensure Contact, Referral and Assessment are in good order, get them ready to receive the inspectors the next morning. Get data team working on the Annexe A tables plus other data needed quickly eg last 10 children LAC etc all must to be ready for the next day. Sort out exactly what you are putting on the Huddle for Annexe A and QA everything. Keep a really strong grip on editing/ final approvals. Be warned you may have to email it all anyway as the Huddle doesn t seem to work well. Sort out rooms*/ visitor passes/ car parking spaces/ laptops and logins to ICS. Buy plenty of biscuits/ fruit/ tea/ coffee/ fizzy water etc. Develop a project plan for the inspection (this clarified my thinking). *Type of room important 5
Week 1 - days 2, 3 and 4 Three inspectors arrive Two go straight to CRA - one at the frontdesk and one going through Section 47s with social workers. At this point they are not interested in anything other than CRA process and Section 47 s (no multiagency/ stronger family etc interest). It basically replicates the old unannounced inspection and is very child protection focussed. They will stay there for days 2 and 3 but tend to become more ICS based (looking at last 10 LAC and other cases) for day 4. Only once they are satisfied that CRA is safe will they then look at the multiagency/ whole family approaches etc. You will get feedback each morning (except Friday) be ready to respond to any cases they raise that are RI or lower (especially Annexe H). The lead inspector sits with DCS and other lead officers and lays out the process. This is where you find out what their ILOEs (Initial Lines of Enquiry) are. These are vital develop position statements and start thinking about what you could timetable in that will address them. Provide your self evaluation and introductory presentation. 6
Still week 1 After this initial meeting the lead inspector will sit with the lead person (usually AD and admin) and start on the key tasks to be achieved: Selecting the 20 cases to be audited in the CFA (they use the Annexe A tables to select these so the tables need to be ready). Working out the two children OOB to be visited. Timetabling in meetings (they have a list of things that must be in the timetable) as the timetable develops you can suggest certain things you think would also be helpful (especially for the end of week 3/ start of week 4). You will know by the end of the week which cases will be audited, you ll have had KIT meetings so you know how things have gone in CRA, you have a good sense of the timetable (but it will need a lot of working up) and you know their ILOEs. You will have a sense of any new issues they want to look at and the lead inspector will share their must have list this is another list of things they will want data and position statements on. 7
Week 2 Finalise the timetable check it with lead inspector in detail. Finish the CFA write the overview report, get the audits, papers and overview report on the Huddle. Get everything printed off ready for Monday. Finalise and load on to the Huddle your position statements against the ILOE s and MUST list have a central editor who does ultimate sign-off. Check over Annexe M and see that everything is covered through a position statement or timetabled event to give them the evidence they need. Week 3 The busiest week with lots of activity and lots of inspectors. Have your team ready to show them round and get them to the right room. The timetable will change with very short notice be ready. They will ask for more data continuously. Thursday is the longest day By Friday you will utterly exhausted but you ve broken the back of it! 8
Week 4 Monday afternoon appears to be for mopping up and putting in final meetings etc. Our inspectors didn t want any meetings on Tuesday. They will keep asking for data and information right up to the end. Wednesday is feedback day. Hints and tips Keep calm, look confident and be really responsive respond quickly, especially to any cases or issues they raise. Listen carefully (brief and debrief everyone they talk to) to pick up signals what are they asking about, drilling into etc? Be ready to react. Make them comfortable (our canteen really helped). Be willing to fight your corner but don t be defensive. 9
Key areas of interest (1) They obviously come in having read the data and all other information about the LA so have specific questions/ ILOEs but their other key areas of interest we noticed were: Quality of social work practice (sounds so obvious) but it all starts and ends here. Make it clear you understand this and that it underpins all you do. Progress since last inspections (no matter how old). Do we understand ourselves? Is that knowledge and understanding present at all levels of the organisation? Is there strong senior management grip QA and governance at all levels. Can we evidence what we do when we spot things aren t right? Have lots of examples of improvement action up your sleeve to quote. CSE and missing for both LSCB and LA. 10
Key areas of interest (2) They obviously come in having read the data and all other information about the LA so have specific questions/ ILOEs but their other key areas of interest we noticed were: Prevent and radicalisation. Domestic abuse including perpetrator programmes. Early help. Role of Virtual Head Teachers big focus on PEPs. Challenge/ leadership from the LSCB what difference have they made? SINs/ learning from SCR s or Critical Learning Reviews. Influence/ engagement with FJB. CP Advocacy. LSCB domestic abuse/ MARAC/MAPPA/ their role re LAC. 11
And finally it s a marathon not a sprint Keep your strength up! 12