Introduction
A programme of Joint Targeted Area Inspections (JTAIs) in a local area is carried out by Ofsted, the Care Quality Commission (CQC), and HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS).
The Joint Targeted Area Inspection
JTAI is an inspection of the local area’s safeguarding arrangements and how leaders, managers and practitioners work together across the local authority, police, health providers and partner services to safeguard children and promote their welfare.
"The responsibility of safeguarding cannot rest with one agency alone. These inspections will provide a comprehensive picture of how several agencies work together in an area to ensure children are safe.
"The joint approach will allow us to act swiftly where we are concerned about specific issues in an area so we can ensure that every agency is doing its part. Equally, it will give us an important opportunity to look at good practice and really understand how local areas are tackling the challenges they face. We are confident these inspections will support improvement and have a positive impact on the experiences of children and young people."
Ofsted’s National Director for Social Care, Eleanor Schooling
JTAI Inspection Frameworks
There are currently two types of JTAI inspection:
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The multi-agency response to identification of initial need and risk which considers the multi-agency 'front door' arrangements, decision making, and pathways to the right support at the right time.
JTAI of the multi-agency response to identification of initial need and risk - guidance on GOV.UK
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The Joint inspection of the response to children who are victims of domestic abuse, which focuses on the multi-agency response to children, including unborn children, who are victims of domestic abuse in a local authority area. The scope of this inspection reflects the definition of domestic abuse in the Domestic Abuse Act 2021. This makes clear that children are victims of domestic abuse in their own right if they have seen, heard, or experienced the effect of the abuse.
The inspection will consider the guidance set out in Working Together to safeguard children.
The full definition of domestic abuse is set out in the Domestic Abuse Act 2021. The government has also published a factsheet about the statutory definition.
The focus of the JTAI inspection framework is subject to change periodically.
The JTAI inspection team
The inspection team will usually consist of:
- three social care inspectors from Ofsted – one will be the lead inspector
- one education inspector from Ofsted
- three inspectors from HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS)
- three inspectors from Care Quality Commission (CQC)
- two inspectors from HM Inspectorate of Probation (HMIP).
A senior His Majesty’s Inspector (HMI) from Ofsted will be the quality assurance manager.
CQC, HMICFRS, and HMIP can add more quality assurance managers to the team if there are special situations that need extra attention.
The inspection activity
Inspectors will be focusing on children’s experiences and progress and will make it a priority to collect information about how children and families are being helped directly. Inspectors will:
- undertake case sampling
- undertake case tracking This is a more in-depth look at practice where at least five cases, provided in advance, will be selected from performance and management information of the on-site activity (week three)
- evaluate the quality and impact of local audits
- interview practitioners, managers, leaders, and stakeholders
- speak with children, young people, and families
- meet with representatives of our multi-agency safeguarding arrangements
- review documents, performance, and management information
- observe practice and multi-agency meetings, for example ICPC strategy meetings, and multi-agency panels such as MARAC, resource allocation, and MAPPA.
The inspection timeline
Week 1- Inspectors off-site
- notification usually on a Monday, 10 working days before the fieldwork begins
- Annex A information (prescribed child level data) is provided, along with a list of multi-agency audits completed in the last six months
- inspectors select 30 children and further information is provided on these cases
- five children’s cases are selected for local partners to audit on a single and multi-agency basis.
Week 2- Inspectors off-site
- the local authority and partner agencies complete the audit of the five cases selected, submit key documents for each case, and share their findings with the inspectorate
- preparatory work for the on-site timetable begins
- additional performance and management information is provided to the inspectors by the local authority, the police, and relevant health services.
- inspectors may meet virtually with local leaders, staff, and any stakeholders relevant to the scope of this inspection.
Week 3- Inspectors on-site
- fieldwork takes place Monday to Friday and inspection activity, listed above, is undertaken by inspectors
- inspection findings are fed back to the local partnership on Friday.
Weeks 4 and 5 – Inspectors off-site
- Ofsted draft the findings letter for the local partnerships.
Week 6
- draft findings report sent to the local partnerships via the executive director of children’s services, on Friday of week 6 (15 working days after fieldwork).
Weeks 7 and 8
- director of children's services has nine working days to co-ordinate comments from the partner agencies as part of a factual accuracy check of the report. Comments are returned to inspectors by Thursday of week 8.
Week 10
- final findings report is sent to local partners on Monday of week 10. The publication of this is embargoed until Friday of this week, when the report is made available to the public.
JTAI preparation in the East Riding
There is a multi-agency JTAI working group which is co-ordinated by the East Riding of Yorkshire Council’s lead inspection officer. The function of the group is to support preparation, self-assessment, and make use of the learning identified from JTAI’s in external areas.
For further information on the work of the group please :
