New frameworks for joint targeted area inspections (JTAIs)

Ofsted, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) have today announced the restart of their programme of joint targeted area inspections (JTAIs).

From April 2022, the inspectorates will carry out 2 types of JTAI:

• One type will evaluate the multi-agency response to identification of initial need and risk (or the ‘front door’ of child protection).
• The other type will look at a particular theme or cohort of children, the first of which will focus on the multi-agency response to the criminal exploitation of children.

New guidance will be published each year when the focus of future thematic JTAIs is announced.

These new frameworks build on the joint inspection methodology used in Solihull in January 2022, and are more focused to allow the inspectorates to deliver inspections with less burden on local safeguarding partnerships.

Yvette Stanley, Ofsted’s National Director for Social Care, said:

Restarting our JTAIs is a significant milestone. Joint inspections play such an important role in identifying areas for improvement and sharing good practice about how local agencies work together to help and protect children.

The new joint inspections of the ‘front door’ of child protection will give us an even stronger understanding of how multi-agency safeguarding arrangements allow local leaders and professionals to work together to identify and respond to children at risk of harm. And the thematic inspections will provide a clear insight into how areas respond to the specific risks children face, starting with child criminal exploitation.

Dr Rosie Benneyworth, Chief Inspector of Primary Medical Services and Integrated Care, said:

I am pleased to see the continuing collaboration by the joint inspectorates in looking at how the multi-agency partnerships are working together to safeguard children and young people. Protecting children and young people is the responsibility of all agencies working together locally and this new JTAI framework will strengthen that focus.

Wendy Williams, Her Majesty’s Inspector of Constabulary at HMICFRS, said:

HMICFRS fully supports the importance of joint targeted area inspections. They provide us with the opportunity to work alongside colleagues in Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission to evaluate the effectiveness of the police, local authority, and Clinical Commissioning Group. Specifically, in how they work together and co-ordinate their services and responses to safeguard and promote the welfare of children.