Thursday, 9 July 2015

A social care professional should lead on social care inspection

It may only be an interim appointment for a few months, but I was quite concerned to see that Ofsted has appointed a former head teacher as its interim head of social care inspection. 
http://www.islington.gov.uk/islington/news-events/news-releases/2015/07/Pages/PR6172.aspx 

I hope it doesn’t set a precedent. A social care professional should lead on social care inspection – somebody who understands the processes and the day-to-day pressures - somebody who has lots of on-the-door-step child protection experience.

For too many years Ofsted has treated children’s social care as if it were just a different type of school. We should be getting away from that, not reinforcing it.