A new set of inspections will examine how local partner agencies
- including local authorities, health and probation services and
the police - are working together to protect children living
with, or at risk of, neglect.
The series of 6 joint targeted area inspections (JTAI) involving
Ofsted, Care Quality Commission (CQC), HMI Constabulary and HMI
Probation will begin in May this year.
JTAI assess how effectively agencies are working together in
their local area to help and protect children. Each set of joint
inspections also evaluates the multi-agency response to a
particular issue or theme.
Following feedback from key stakeholders, the four inspectorates
decided that the latest series of JTAI should look at local
support services for children living with neglect. In particular,
the inspections will focus on the experiences of children aged
between 7 and 15 years old, who may be at higher risk of going
missing or being exploited, or who exhibit challenging behaviours
in adolescence.
Guidance published today
sets out how the inspections will work in practice.
Uniquely for this JTAI, inspectors will also speak with school
leaders and staff to get a wider picture of how neglect is
identified and referred.
HM Chief Inspector Amanda Spielman said:
Identifying signs of neglect in middle childhood and
adolescence can be very complex, as children at this age
experience and respond to neglect differently from younger
children. However, at any age, the impact of childhood neglect
can be lifelong.
It’s crucial that local partner agencies understand the
long-term effects of neglect and recognise the need for early
and appropriate intervention.
These inspections will provide valuable insight into the local
area response to neglect. And importantly, they will highlight
good practice that others can learn from.
Professor , Chief Inspector of
General Practice at the Care Quality Commission, said:
Neglect is a terrible and far-reaching problem that can present
itself in many aspects of a child’s life. We all have a
responsibility to safeguard those children who find themselves
at risk of neglect, and that means understanding where these
risks might be and also where services are doing great work to
support children in their area.
By focusing on individual children’s experiences and tracking
them across services, these inspections will provide an
invaluable chance to see how agencies are working together and
the impact this has on the welfare of young people.
HM Inspector of Constabulary, Wendy Williams, said:
It is important that all police officers have the correct
knowledge to fully understand the signs of neglect. As HMIC has
said previously, although the protection of the vulnerable is
not just the responsibility of the police, police officers will
often be the first point of contact for vulnerable victims.
These inspections aim to provide an understanding of how the
police works with partner agencies not just to identify child
neglect, but also to provide the best possible support and
protection to keep children safe.
HM Chief Inspector of Probation, Dame Glenys Stacey, said:
Many of the children of adult offenders may be experiencing
neglect. This programme will give us the opportunity to examine
and report on the work of probation providers in improving the
lives of children and young people living in very difficult
circumstances. Youth offending teams supervise many children
and young people who have experienced and continue to
experience neglect in childhood and towards adulthood.
We will identify the extent to which youth offending teams work
with these children and young people to reduce the impact of
neglect and improve their life chances.
Each inspection report will include narrative findings, clearly
setting out what local partners are doing well and what they need
to do to improve.
In 2014, Ofsted produced a report on local arrangements to
safeguard neglected children under the age of 10. This
multi-agency review of the experiences of older neglected
children will build on that evidence base.
When all 6 inspections are complete, an overview report will be
published to highlight learning and good practice on the theme of
childhood neglect.
Notes to editors:
- Joint targeted area inspections were launched in January
2016. The first series focused
on children at risk of sexual exploitation and those missing
from home, school or care. The individual inspection
reports are all available on the Ofsted website and a thematic
overview report will be published in the autumn.
