Children and Young Peoples Services Review
What is the Joint Area Review?
The Joint Area Review 
(JAR) is a comprehensive inspection of all services for children and young people in an area. It happens in all local authorities once and took place in Poole from 13th November to 14th December 2007. It covers all children’s services agencies and took place at the same time as an enhanced Youth Service inspection and the Corporate Assessment of the council.
There were eight inspectors drawn from education, social care and adult learning specialists from Ofsted , who lead the process, and also from the Healthcare Commission and the Audit Commission .
Each year we have an Annual Performance Appraisal (APA), looking at all services for all children and young people. The JAR focused more on vulnerable children - children looked after, subject to child protection plans or who have learning difficulties or disabilities, and any other children or young people who are not doing as well. Inspectors were particularly interested in how agencies work together to improve life chances for the more vulnerable and whether this is working.
We have reviewed our Children and Young People’s Plan (CYPP), published in 2006 based on extensive consultation, and have published a revised plan, following further consultation, with new priorities in November 2007.The review and revised plan have been sent to the inspectors.
The inspectors read all our documents and selected 10 cases with which we are working to examine in more detail how services worked together to improve outcomes . They talked with a selection of children, young people and their parents and carers, with voluntary and community organisations and other agencies and visited services in the field. At the end of this they wrote a report giving their views on our services and this will ultimately be published online.
Although this involved a lot of work, we recognise the importance of independent inspection in safeguarding and improving services and outcomes for children and young people and their families, and we are keen to learn from the process.
For more information please contact Jan Sayers or the Poole JAR Team.
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