Ofsted announces full inspection of Cafcass

Ofsted announced that the full inspection of Cafcass has started. The inspection takes place for four weeks in accordance with the published inspection framework.

Ofsted inspectors will be working to assess the effectiveness and impact of leadership at Cafcass and the effectiveness of public and private law work.

Ofsted’s overall judgement therefore will pertain to the extent to which the organisation is effectively discharging its statutory function to safeguard and promote the welfare of children in family court proceedings.

The Inspection principles are just one feature in the published inspection framework.

Ofsted’s corporate strategy outlines how they will carry out inspection and regulation that is:

• intelligent: all of our work will be evidence-led, and we will work to ensure that our evaluation tools and frameworks will be valid and reliable
• responsible: our frameworks will be fair. We will seek to reduce inspection burdens and make our expectations and findings clear
• focused: we will target our time and resources where they can lead directly to improvement

Their approach to inspecting Cafcass is further underpinned by 3 principles that apply to all social care inspections. Inspection should:

• focus on the things that matter most to children’s lives
• be consistent in our expectations of providers
• prioritise our work where improvement is needed most

Ofsted will publish a report following the inspection and the associated internal assurance processes they have established.

Cafcass will share this on their website following clearance with Ofsted and our Cafcass Board.