Ofsted admits 'errors' over adoption rates

摘要

Ofsted's deputy chief inspector has admitted the watchdog has made mistakes over how it rates adoption services. Delivering Ofsted's first social care lecture last week, John Goldup said inspectors had been trying to evaluate adoption services within the 'inappropriate straitjacket' of the Every child matters programme - and had not always looked into 'the right things'. He told delegates: 'People are quite reasonably asking, how can it be true that 80% of local authority adoption services are good or outstanding, which is what Ofsted inspection judgments say, when the number of children adopted from care is falling; when there is huge variation between authorities in the time it takes to place children for adoption; and when the Government is identifying a national crisis in our adoption system?"