Joint Area Review 2008

The Joint Area Review - or JAR is a combined inspection of all children’s services in a local area. It is carried out by a team of inspectors from OFSTED, the Commission for Social Care Inspection, the Healthcare Commission Adult Learning Inspectorate and the Audit Commission.

Inspectors will visit Stoke-on-Trent from 15 to 26 September  2008 as part of the review. Before then they will be reading documents, viewing web sites, looking at performance results, familiarising themselves with the local area and preparing for their analysis. They will focus on the quality of the service we provide, especially for vulnerable groups.

In September the inspection team will interview children, young people, their families, partners and frontline staff at various locations across the city. It’s on the information they gather from those individuals that the inspectors will get a rounded view on which to base their report.

The Joint Area Review matters because it is an independent assessment of how well we are supporting our children, young people and their families. It is an opportunity for us to celebrate success but also to learn how we can continue to improve.

What will be inspected?

The Joint Area Review is structured around a number of investigations. They include scrutiny of selected children and young people’s case files and four core investigations:

• Safeguarding
• Looked After Children
• Children with Learning Difficulties and Disabilities
• Service Management

Following the inspection we will receive a grading according to our performance:

• Grade 4 = Outstanding
• Grade 3 = Good
• Grade 2 = Adequate
• Grade 1 = Inadequate