THE Ofsted inspectors’ two-week visit to Wiltshire Council’s children’s services department was the third in as many years.

The previous two, in 2010 and 2011, were unannounced. The most recent was planned in advance.

The inspection team in March was carried out by three Ofsted Inspectors, two additional inspectors and one inspector from the Care Quality Commission.

Carolyn Godfrey said the outcome had been a surprise despite the two earlier visits, which highlighted some shortcomings in quality assurance. She said: “We were extremely disappointed with the outcome and I would have anticipated a better result.”

Immediately after the visit she and senior managers spoke to staff to outline the areas of the report that caused concern and “highlighted some of the positives.”

She stressed that the failures highlighted in the report were collective and refuted claims that in a radio interview earlier this week she appeared to be blaming managers. She said: “It is not about blaming managers at all. The system of quality assurances did not work.

“We all take the blame for that, for myself as director as well. I think this is extremely serious.”

But Mrs Godfrey said morale in her department was still good. She said: “This is a very critical report so understandably everyone is feeling very concerned but we are all pulling together and I can say that everyone in the department’s focus is on the children.”

Ofsted’s criticisms

  • Inspectors had concerns in 17 of 92 cases looked at
  • Children who should have had child protection plans did not have one
  • Poor management failed their committed front line social workers
  • Insufficient focus on needs of the child during assessment
  • Children were left inadequately protected after failures to identify risk