Changes to Ofsted’s post-inspection processes and complaints handling

Press release

Ofsted revises post-inspection processes and complaints handling to bring about greater consistency across its work.

Secondary school student raising his hand in class

Ofsted is revising its post-inspection and complaints-handling arrangements so that any queries or concerns about an inspection can be dealt with quickly and before an inspection report is finalised.

This follows a public consultation, published in March 2020. Ofsted received more than 600 responses from a wide range of respondents, including early years providers, schools, further education and skills providers, social care providers and parents.

Ofsted will:

introduce greater consistency in post-inspection arrangements across inspection remits
standardise at 5 working days the period allowed for providers to review their draft report and raise any issues of factual accuracy and about the inspection process
consider and respond to formal complaints from inspected providers before we publish their inspection report, if these complaints are submitted within 5 working days of Ofsted issuing the final report
retain current arrangements for internal reviews into complaints handling, including the scrutiny panel

Most respondents supported the proposals and responses were broadly consistent across all the different areas that Ofsted inspects. After considering all the consultation responses received, Ofsted plans to implement the new arrangements, including providing more time for formal complaints to be submitted. The consultation outcome is published today.

Ofsted will also update its complaints policy and will publish this in the coming months.

Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector Amanda Spielman said:

I am pleased with the positive responses to our consultation. We need to be able to deal quickly and effectively with queries and concerns before we finalise and publish an inspection report.

The changes we are making will help to make sure our processes are efficient, fair and responsive to the providers we inspect.

Published 16 July 2020

Illegal waste activities targeted in Essex

Environment Agency staff joined forces with officers from Essex Police, Essex County Council Planning Enforcement and Essex County Fire & Rescue Service to enter onto a suspected illegal waste site in Essex.

The visit, which took place on 30 June under the name Operation Nutmeg and with strict adherence to social distancing measures, followed on from an earlier visit to the site in the Bradwell Wick area carried out at the start of June.

The aim behind the planned action was to work with enforcement partners to gather intelligence and evidence and disrupt those believed to be involved in illegal waste activities.

Environment Agency Enforcement Team Leader Lesley Robertson said:

Waste crime undermines legitimate business, can cause harm to the environment and misery for local people.

Despite the coronavirus pandemic, we are continuing to work with our enforcement partners to disrupt illegal waste activities and remain committed to the closure of illegal waste sites, whilst always adhering to social distancing measures.

We urge anyone with information about waste crime to contact our hotline 0800 80 70 60 or anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or on their website.

Roger Hirst, Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for Essex, said:

Illegal waste disposal is damaging to the environment, but also has significant social and economic impacts.

It is not acceptable and we are working hard in Essex to tackle offending and stop it happening in the first place. We welcome activity, such as Operation Nutmeg, which helps to tackle this activity and send a clear message to offenders.

We encourage all residents and businesses in Essex to be vigilant when disposing of waste; to make sure they understand their duty of care and to always check for a waste carrier license when someone is disposing of things on their behalf.

Sergeant Paul Brady from the Essex Police Rural Engagement Team said:

We treat the illegal depositing of waste extremely seriously and work with our partners to bring offenders to justice. Disposing of waste illegally will not be tolerated in Essex and you will risk a prison sentence or a hefty fine from the courts.

Cllr Tony Ball, Essex County Council’s Cabinet Member for Economic Growth said:

As the Waste Planning Authority we will not hesitate to take enforcement action against those who breach planning regulations. The success of this operation shows what effective partnership working between ourselves and the Environment Agency can achieve.

Illegal waste sites can cause serious pollution incidents, bad smells, chemical spills, blight on the landscape, and misery for surrounding communities.

Sites that store or treat hazardous waste and chemicals without safeguards are breaking the law and risk causing serious pollution incidents that damage rivers, habitats and pose a risk to human health.

Vacancy: Safety Data Co-Ordinator

News story

The Air Accidents Investigation Branch are recruiting a safety data co-ordinator

Are you data fluent, able to provide quality analysis and reports to support good business decision-making?

Can you work with databases, data collection systems, data analytics and dashboards?

If so, this exciting opportunity as our Safety Data Co-Ordinator is for you, and we’d love to hear from you.

Further information including how to apply can be found on the Civil Service Jobs Website

British Ambassador and Secretaria de Estado de Migraciones send a joint message to UK nationals in Spain

One week on from the introduction of a new residency document for UK Nationals protected by the Withdrawal Agreement and some changes to the application process, HMA Hugh Elliott and Secretaria de Estado de Migraciones (Ministerio de Inclusión, Seguridad Social y Migraciones) Hana Jalloul recorded a joint message for UK nationals living in Spain.

Watch the video.

The Ambassador and Minister acknowledged the many questions from UK nationals about the new system and sought to provide clarity and reassurance. They were clear that the green residency certificate (whether A4 or credit card-sized) remains valid proof of residency status and rights under the Withdrawal Agreement, even after the end of the transition period.

Speaking about the introduction of the Tarjeta de Identidad de Extranjero, Secretaria de Estado Hana Jalloul said:

If you already have a green residency certificate, you don’t have to apply for a new status as a resident in Spain, and the documents you already have as an EU resident in Spain remain valid. And most importantly, as long as you are legally resident in Spain before 31 December your rights are guaranteed. . . I encourage anyone who does not yet have your residency certificate to apply to the immigration authorities as soon as you can.

Launching the video, HMA Hugh Elliott reminded UK nationals of the rights protected by the Withdrawal Agreement:

You will be able to continue to live and work in Spain. UK state pensioners will continue to have lifelong healthcare access as long as they remain living in Spain (this also applies to residents who claim a UK state pension in the future) and your UK state pension will continue to be uprated. That’s why it is so important that you register as a resident as soon as possible.

The Ministerio de Inclusión, Seguridad Social y Migraciones has published a comprehensive Q&A document (in both English and Spanish) to provide answers to the questions UK Nationals may have about their residency status and the new process.

The British Embassy is updating its Living in Spain guide to reflect the new residency process and will be providing further information on www.facebook.com/britsinspain

To end the video, Hana Jalloul said:

Many of you have built your homes here and we want you to stay . . . You are part of the Spanish family. You are part of us. The Spanish Government is here to support you in this new phase and we want to send you a very clear message: this is, and will always be, your home.

HM Treasury announces update to 2020-21 government financing targets

News story

The government has delivered an unprecedented package of measures to provide the critical support needed by individuals, families and businesses, through the economic disruption caused by COVID-19, and set out a plan to support jobs as the economy reopens.

This has necessarily increased the government’s financing requirement compared to that set out at Budget 2020. The Chancellor has already outlined that this will be fully funded through the government’s normal debt management operations.

HM Treasury (HMT) is today announcing a further revision to the UK Debt Management Office’s (DMO’s) financing remit for 2020-21, covering the September to November 2020 period. This follows the previous revision to the DMO’s financing remit for 2020-21, published on 29 June 2020.

Planned gilt sales from April to November 2020 inclusive will total a minimum of £385 billion, based on the government’s latest assessment of its financing requirement. The DMO is today publishing details of the provisional gilt issuance schedule for September to November 2020 on its website.

The higher volume of issuance seen so far this year due to COVID-19 is not expected to persist over the final four months of the year.

A further update to the DMO’s financing remit and planned issuance schedule for 2020-21 will be announced at the Autumn Budget.

At Budget 2020, NS&I was set a net financing target of £6 billion for 2020-21, within a range of £3 billion to £9 billion. The target is being increased by £29 billion to £35 billion, within a range of £30 billion to £40 billion.

Notes

The Office for Budget Responsibility’s (OBR) Fiscal sustainability report, published on 14 July 2020, suggested that the gross financing requirement (GFR) for the full financial year could be in the range of £393 billion to £521 billion based on the OBR’s three new medium-term scenarios for the economy and public finances. These are however illustrative scenarios, rather than a central forecast.
The net financing requirement (NFR) for the DMO comprises: the central government’s cash need, plus any financing for gilt redemptions and other adjustments (such as adjustments for unintended under or over financing from the previous year), less the net contribution to financing from NS&I.
Additional details of the revised gilt issuance schedule, including the DMO’s provisional operational calendar for September to November 2020, are set out in the DMO’s financing remit announcement, as published on its website today.
The DMO has raised £217.1 billion via gilt sales in 2020-21 to date.
Further information can be found at:

Published 16 July 2020