Yesterday I attended a briefing about the Joint Area Review for Warwickshire which will take place this summer. The “JAR” (as it is affectionately known!) is a massive central government inspection by Ofsted of local services for children, young people and families, covering not only the county council but also all of its partner agencies.

While recognising that central government has a need and right to monitor the quality of local services, I can’t help wonder whether the huge amount of effort, time and money that goes into these inspection processes is really worth it! Do they really affect positively the outcomes for children, young people and families in Warwickshire? I doubt it.