1. Inspection of local authority children’s services (ILACS)
National Commissioning and Contracting Training Conference
10/11 July 2017
Jeremy Gleaden, Senior HMI, Social Care Policy
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2. Future of social care inspection- the underpinning principles
Focus on what makes the most difference in children’s lives: rigorous focus on progress and experiences across all of our inspection frameworks.
Being clear about our expectations of providers: bringing commonality into our expectations on inspection wherever we can eg children living away from home.
Focus on the less than good: risk-based and proportionate.
Move away from one-size-fits-all
Inspection: practice matters

3. Inspection of local authority children’s services
All local authorities judged on a four-point scale.
Length and intensity of the judgement inspection based on what we know about the local authority including previous inspection judgements.
In addition, short, focused visits with a ‘strengths and areas to improve’ narrative. Focused on ‘catching before you fall’ and identifying what needs to improve before the next judgement inspection.
Same arrangements for inadequate local authorities: quarterly monitoring followed by SIF/post monitoring SIF.
Inspection: practice matters

4. Standard / short inspection
Self-evaluation
Regional conversation
Intelligence and data
Focused visit

5. Inspection of local authority children’s services
Judgement inspections
All LAs
Length and intensity is proportionate (e.g. one week vs two week)
Judgement on a four-point scale
Focused visits
Support improvement and find and test good practice
Short, sharp and focused (2-3 days on site)
Cohorts of children/areas of practice
Narrative findings
Monitoring visits
For inadequate LAs only
Quarterly monitoring
SIF/post-monitoring SIF
Route out of inadequate
Judgements on a four-point scale
JTAI
Up to ten local areas per year
Changing ‘deep dives’
Monitoring visits, SIF/PMSF – as per current arrangements
JTAI – as per current arrangements. Considering whether to do six on a new theme and four random to keep benefits of a thematic approach AND minimise risks of the focus of inspection skewing the focus of services.
Inspection: practice matters

6. Timeline
January – September 2017: pilot new local authority arrangements.
Autumn 2017: publish new inspection of local authority children’s services (ILACS) arrangements.
January 2018: introduce new ILACS arrangements.
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7. Standard inspection
For authorites previously “requires improvement to be good”
Two weeks of fieldwork
One working week’s notice
Team of four HMI
Exploring the role of schools HMI and/or SCRI
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8. Feedback from the first standard pilot site
“The most authentic inspection ever” (DCS)
Small team effectiveness
Busy and intense for us and them
Front door was challenging for staff
DCS had to tell staff to go home!
Need to be more explicit about when we need things
They may have pushed back more if less good outcomes – what about short inspections?
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9. Short inspection For authorites previously good or outstanding
One week of fieldwork
One working week’s notice
Team of four HMI
This has previously been a good authority – what does the system tell us?
Option to deploy a standard
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10. Feedback from the first short pilot site
Short is not simply a faster standard
Small team effectiveness
Busy and intense for us and them – but the pain ended quicker!
LA with OE good but H&P RI
Three key questions
Started with good – which led to some anxiety for the LA
Still some unanswered questions – 3rd and 4th pilots
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11. Focused visit pilot Two HMI for two days
Methodologically similar to a monitoring visit
Aspect of service or cohort of young people
Successful first pilot
Depth vs breadth
Two more pilots planned
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12. Evolution from the Single inspection framework (SIF)
Grade descriptors
Updating
Streamlining
From process to impact
Impact of leaders on front line practice
From adoption to permanence
From looked after children to children in care
Judgements
Overall effectiveness or not – grade profile of the sector
Ministerial view
Impact on intervention
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13. Capturing children’s experiences
Methodology requires almost all HMI time looking at front line practice
Maintaining:
Sitting with social workers
Talking to managers
Where possible talking to children and families
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14. In summary A whole system rather than a programme
Risk based and proportionate
Greater ability to be more flexible
Comprehensive evaluation for the first 18 months
Inspection: practice matters

15. Questions?
Inspection: practice matters