Ofsted targeted inspections to focus on serious violence

It has been announced that as part of their programme of joint targeted area inspections (JTAIs), Ofsted, Care Quality Commission (CQC), HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) and HM Inspectorate of Probation (HMIP) will focus on serious youth violence.

The bodies have published guidance for the thematic focus on serious youth violence.

The inspections will start in September and will focus on how the police, children’s social care, education, youth offending services and relevant health services in local areas can work together to address and prevent serious youth violence.

The inspectorates will consider interventions with individual and groups of children to see how well agencies help them and reduce the risk of serious youth violence.

The inspections will also consider multi-agency interventions in places such as parks, streets and shopping centres, where individual or groups of children are at risk, in an attempt to improve safety for children and local communities.

Yvette Stanley, Ofsted’s national director for social care: "Serious youth violence has a devastating impact on the lives of children, families and communities. The causes are complex and the JTAI framework is well placed to evaluate how different local agencies work together to tackle this critical issue.

"The response to serious youth violence is a developing area of multi-agency work and these inspections will explore the approaches local partnerships are taking. We want to identify practice that is making a real difference to children, and aspects of multi-agency work that need to improve, so that we can share this learning widely."