JAR

1
JAR

• What is a JAR?

2
JOINT AREA REVIEW

• Inspection of Childrens Services
• Focus on vulnerable children
• Safeguarded.Looked after. With additional
  needs/disabilities
• Extra issues identified by the inspectors. These
  could be services perceived as needing
  improvement.

3
Joint Area Review

• The inspectors seek to measure outcomes
• They use the Every Child Matters outcomes
• Be Healthy
• Stay Safe
• Enjoy and achieve
• Make a positive contribution
• Achieve Economic well-being

4
JOINT AREA REVIEW

• Part One gtgtgtgtgtgtgtgtgtANALYSIS
• The Inspectors use all existing evidence to make
  judgments. This includes -
• Annual Performance Assessment Review
• The Childrens and Young Persons Plan
• Casework Performance data
• Tellus Children and Young people Survey
• Audit Commission School Survey
• Policies and Key County documents
• Their judgments will then be tested

5
Joint Area Review

• Part TwogtgtgtgtgtgtgtgtgtgtgtgtFieldwork July 2008
• Case Tracking Investigate the files of 10
  vulnerable children
• Meetings with managers and frontline staff from
  various agencies.
• Discussions with young people, parents/carers
• Watching the Councils Services in action
• Positive responses needed from all staff and
  partners!

6
JOINT AREA REVIEW

• PART THREEgtgtgtgtgtgtgtgtgtREPORTING
• Emerging issues will be discussed with key
  personnel
• and members during the inspection
• Final Report available Autumn 2008

7
Joint Area Review

• Who will be involved?
• Health Practitioners Social Care Professionals
• Head Teachers College Principals
• Connexions Youth Workers
• SEN Professionals Children and Families
• Police Youth Offending Team
• Early Years Providers Foster Carers
• The Voluntary Sector
• Some or all of the above could be visited
  by the Inspectors - in fact anyone who works to
  improve outcomes for children.

8
JOINT AREA REVIEW

• OUTCOMES
• Grades from 1 to 4 where 1 is low!
• The Authority is graded on Safeguarding,
  Looked after Children, Children with learning
  difficulties/disabilities, Service Management and
  Capacity to Improve
• Good grades in an APA do not guarantee similar in
  a JAR

9
JOINT AREA REVIEW

• Nobody wants bad gradings! They would -
• demotivate everyone
• result in a lack of confidence amongst service
  users
• make future inspections more difficult
• A really bad report could even result in a loss
  of control of some council services.

10
Joint Area Review

• Benefits of good gradings
• Feel good factor for all involved
• Drive to improve reinforced by external
  validation
• Avoids any loss of control of services
• Good news for further inspections
• Attractive for grants and investment
• Worth working for as it will improve the
  service offered to children and young people in
  the process