Ofsted - Children and Young People in Gloucestershire are Doing Well

21/02/2008

The recent Ofsted inspection of services for children and young people shows that Gloucestershire is on the right track. The multi-agency inspection, known as the Joint Area Review, confirms that children and young people in Gloucestershire are doing well and the organisations that support them are working together effectively.

This is the first year that Gloucestershire has had a Joint Area Review (known as a JAR). The agencies being inspected included Gloucestershire PCT and NHS Trusts, the Police, Learning & Skills Council, Connexions, voluntary and community organisations, district and county councils.

Work to prevent crime, reduction in teenage pregnancy rates and children’s centres are just some of the areas singled out for praise by the inspectors. Young people have good opportunities provided by a “well managed and led” youth service; the multi agency Youth Offending Service has improved rapidly and is now ‘good and performing effectively’.

Outcomes for children are good (among top 25% of areas in the country). Examples of good practice include:

• High numbers of schools reach National Healthy school standards, exceeding national targets
• Good information for families about safety issues
• The Family Intervention Team running in Gloucester working with families to reduce anti social behaviour
• Good work to return children who have been excluded back into school
• Children in Care do better at school than those living in similar council areas
• Children in Care receive good health care
• There are good opportunities for Children in Care to talk directly to senior staff and have their say about services
• Specialist services for children with medical conditions are good and well coordinated
• Out of school activities for children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities are provided by special schools, voluntary organisations and the youth service
• An anti-bullying Accreditation Scheme has been implemented
• Excellent range of youth work activities – over 350 youth work opportunities per week provided through 78 centres
• Excellent response to concerns about council processes to ensure safe staffing
• Services are well managed

As expected, the review also confirmed areas where improvements are needed. These include:

• Better targeting of resources for services for children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities
• Advocacy for children with learning disabilities and/or disabilities
• Consistent access to core child protection services
• Support to children in children’s homes
• Management oversight of case files

Chief Executive of Gloucestershire Primary Care Trust, Jan Stubbings said:

“It is particularly pleasing to see that the excellent team work that exists across agencies has been recognised and that the joint commitment to plan together for children and young people has also been highlighted. However, we are not complacent, and alongside our partners, we are focused on making further improvements in service to give children and young people the best possible support in life.”

Paul Summersby, NCH, Acting Assistant Director Children’s Services, speaking on behalf of the Voluntary and Community Services Children and Young People’s Strategy Group, said: “There is much innovative and high quality work that is being undertaken in Gloucestershire which is highlighted in the report, and voluntary and community services have played a significant part in these. We feel that the JAR report has given the Gloucestershire Children and Young People’s Strategic Partnership a learning opportunity to move on with the process of developing services and we look forward to taking an active and key role in developing and delivering the Children’s Plan over the coming months.”

Simon Thompson, Director of Operations for Gloucestershire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust said: “I am pleased to report that there is good progress towards creating a framework for transforming the way children’s services are delivered in Gloucestershire so that the experience of the individual and their family is positive, responsive and seamless. Further improvements include closer working with partners and voluntary and community organisations to maximise resources. This will ensure that children and young people with mental health problems and learning disabilities have access to appropriate services and that practitioners have the appropriate skills to work with this group of children and young people”.

Linda Uren, Director of Commissioning & Partnerships, speaking on behalf of the CYPSP said:

“We are determined to ensure that all children and young people in Gloucestershire reach their potential. We are pleased with the achievements that have been highlighted; the report also confirms the areas we know we have to strengthen. All partners are focused on working together to do our very best for children and young people; which is why many services in Gloucestershire already perform so well. On behalf of the Partnership, I would like to thank everyone who is involved in the delivery of services for their hard work and commitment to the county's children and young people.”

Further Information

The Joint Area Review is carried out by the Audit Commission, the Healthcare Commission, HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate, HM Inspectorate of Constabulary, HM Inspectorate of Prisons, HM Inspectorate of Probation and Ofsted.

The review describes the outcomes achieved by children and young people growing up in Gloucestershire and evaluates the way local services, taken together, contribute to their well-being. Together with the Annual Performance Assessment of Children’s Services, joint area review focus on the extent to which children and young people are healthy, safe, enjoy and achieve, make a positive contribution, and are well prepared to secure economic well-being. The review explores these issues by focussing on children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, children who are looked after and children at risk or requiring safeguarding and a few additional investigations. It evaluates the collective contribution made by all relevant children’s services to outcomes for these children and young people.

The review took place in two stages consisting of an analysis stage (where recorded evidence was scrutinised) and a two week fieldwork stage (where inspectors met children and young people and those who deliver services for them.)