Ofsted inspection starts at Sandwell Council Children's Services department
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TODAY is the first of the all important five day Ofsted inspection into Sandwell Council Children’s Services department.
Everyone in the department, which was branded poor by Ofsted after a previous inspection, has been wished luck during the inspection by Sandwell chief executive Jan Britton.
He said: “Good luck to everyone in Children’s Services. I hope it goes well.”
A vastly better Ofsted report is vital under the terms of the Improvement Notice it has been working under since 2009.
The council has set out its stall to improve standards after Ofsted found it was failing local children in a variety of ways including not keeping them safe and not providing good enough education.
Looked after children were shown to have also been continually let down by the department.
In January chief executive Mr Britton made it clear improving Children’s Services and getting a better Ofsted rating was the council’s top priority in 2012.
He said: “The most important for the Council as a whole will be removing Children’s Services from the Improvement Notice they’ve been working under since the Ofsted inspection in 2009.
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POLICE STATION CLOSES FOR THE LAST TIME
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SANDWELL police have lowered the Union Jack at West Bromwich New Street police station for the last time.
The building, which has been home to West Bromwich police for over 30 years, now stands empty and awaits demolition to make way for the town’s new Tesco superstore.
Chief Superintendent Mark Robinson, Commander of Sandwell Police, was joined by officers and staff, past and present, to mark the closure of the station on Thursday 15 September.
He said: “I am very proud to be Commander of Sandwell Local Policing Unit and I am humbled by the reaction to the closure of the station. We have moved reasonably seamlessly from the old building to the new and we are looking forward to a successful future there.”
Officers and staff have now relocated to the brand new police station in Moor Street, which opened to the public on 9 September.
Sandwell Police Pastor, Iain Hesketh symbolised the move with a brick from each building. He said: “These are representative of change that we can’t avoid. Without the stories of the past there are no stories of the future. Tomorrow cannot happen if it wasn’t for what happened yesterday.
“We look forward to shaping the future, with new relationships and new friendships.”
The Moor Street police station will be opened officially by Chief Constable Chris Sims on Friday 30 September.
