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Camden's Joint Area Review (JAR)

Camden's Joint Area Review

The final results of the 2007 corporate assessment, joint area review (JAR), the youth offending service and youth service inspections were published on Tuesday 6 May 2008.

You can download a summary of the JAR, youth service and youth offending services inspections below or visit www.ofsted.gov.uk/reports for the full reports.

What is a JAR?

Since 2004, all local authority services for children and young people, and the wide range of services from other agencies and partners, have been subject to a joint area review (JAR) inspection.

Reviews are carried out every three years and our first JAR took place in December 2007. Our children, schools and families annual performance assessment (APA), which took place in October was part of our usual round of self-assessment and was a starting point for the JAR.

The APA result for children, schools and families in 2007 was outstanding, with our services for children receiving the top four rating and our capacity to improve these services also receiving a four.

The JAR provides a comprehensive report on how well partners work together to contribute to the achievements, progress and well-being of our children and young people, and in particular those outcomes for our vulnerable groups.

The services reviewed during the JAR included council youth services and the youth offending service, health services, police and probation services, and publicly-funded services provided by voluntary agencies.

Evidence from other inspections, such as schools, colleges and residential settings will also contribute to the final report.

The JAR inspection:

  • focused on the government’s five Every Child Matters outcomes and in particular on the effectiveness of the council and its partners in improving outcomes around:
    • safeguarding children;
    • looked after children;
    • children with learning difficulties and disabilities; and
    • those who are not doing well enough, or where insufficient information is known.
  • judged the quality of management and leadership across children’s services; and
  • examined how local services gather and respond to the views of users, parents and carers and ensure they involve children and young people

Contact

For more information please contact policy, planning and performance, children, schools and families