DCC delayed Ofsted report likely to come after elections

Not likely until May

Devon County Council’s delayed Ofsted report is likely to be published May’s local elections, amid ongoing discussions about its contents.

The watchdog, which is best-known for assessing schools but which also scrutinises children’s social services departments, reviewed the council last October.

That visit was aimed at deciding whether the council’s children’s services could be lifted out of ‘special measures’.

The education regulator rated the department inadequate in 2020 because of “serious failures.”

A final report was expected in November, but in December, a county councillor acknowledged the council was challenging a draft version.

Now it has emerged that the final report could now be delayed until after the election, partly because of the so-called pre-election period, which is set to begin next Tuesday and limits what is communicated by the council until polls close.

Julian Wooster, director of children and young people’s futures at the council, said Ofsted is still considering some of his department’s comments about the draft report, meaning if a final version isn’t shown to the council before Tuesday, then it would be published after the election.

“We have had some elements of the draft and have commented on those, and so we’re having conversations now about the wording and the actions we need to take,” he told Devon County Council’s children’s scrutiny committee this week.

Mr Wooster added that the council wants the report to emphasise that children’s wellbeing and care is the responsibility of other organisations, such as the NHS, as well as the county council.

“It’s in there but we want it strengthened,” he said.

In a monitoring visit in March last year, Ofsted said it did not find any decisions that had “left children at unassessed risk of significant harm”, but noted “substantial improvements still need to be made to build on these foundations”.

“When risks to children require further social work assessment, too many children are not seen on their own because parents’ refusals to allow social work visits to their children are too readily accepted in situations where children may be at risk,” the report from March’s visit added.

“Too often, this focus on adults rather than children leaves children without a voice.”

Mr Wooster added that he did not believe there was anything in the forthcoming Ofsted report that would “be a surprise” to councillors.

The committee’s chair, Cllr Tracy Adams (Labour, Pinhoe & Mincinglake) complimented efforts by senior officers and the council’s chief executive, Donna Manson, to improve children’s services.

“Especially in the last couple of years we have seen improvements and we do appreciate that improvement takes time,” she said.

“We are grateful for the transparency [from officers], especially in regards to a lot of the data presented to us which helps us scrutinise the department.”

Cllr Alistair Dewhirst (Liberal Democrat, Ipplepen & The Kerswells) also welcomed the transparency but continued:  “for cabinet members to be congratulating themselves on improvements when we are clearly not seeing those coming forward in really basic things, after 12 years, I just find really appalling.”

The children’s scrutiny meeting began with a representation from a member of the public who looks after a child overseen by the council’s children’s services.

He questioned whether the council could hit its improvement targets, and suggested there is “no evidence” to show how the number of children in care would drop.

“I’m absolutely disgusted how the young person I’m supporting, who has many needs, has been let down by this administration and I hope you take my points on and do the job you are elected do to,” he said.