Special measures

Last updated

Special measures is a status applied by regulators of public services in Britain to providers who fall short of acceptable standards.

Contents

In education (England and Wales)

Ofsted, the schools inspection agency for England and some British Overseas Territories, and Estyn, the schools inspection agency for Wales, apply the term special measures (Welsh : mesurau arbennig) [1] to schools under their jurisdictions when they consider the school has failed to provide an acceptable standard of teaching, has poor facilities, or otherwise fails to meet the minimum standards for education set by the government and other agencies, when they judge the school lacks the leadership capacity amongst its management to ensure improvements. [2] [3] A school subject to special measures will have regular short-notice Ofsted or Estyn inspections to monitor its improvement. The senior managers and teaching staff can be dismissed and the school governors replaced by an appointed executive committee. If poor performance continues the school may be closed; an example was of the Frank Montgomery School in Kent.

Notice to improve

The current circumstances under which a school may be placed in special measures, and the procedures to follow, are stipulated by the Education Act 2005. Prior to 2005, special measures were applied to any school which was failing to supply an acceptable level of education; potential for improvement under current leadership was not taken into account. Under the new rules, schools demonstrating such potential are instead given a notice to improve and reinspected after a year. [3]

Actions

Once an institution has been placed in special measures, they are presented with an action plan by the Local Authority detailing the key areas they need to develop in order to leave the category. Monitoring of this action plan then passes to HMI (His Majesty’s Inspectors) who visit the school typically once a term for 1–2 days to evaluate progress. Once HMI are satisfied that the action plan has been completed and all points satisfactorily addressed, then they will refer the school back to Ofsted and ask them to schedule a second Section 5 Inspection. If Ofsted agree with HMI’s judgement, the school is then removed from the special measures category. During a monitoring inspection an HMI can change the nature of the Inspection to a Section 5, and remove the school from Special Measures upon completion. [4]

Support for schools that enter special measures comes in a variety of forms, and varies from local authority to local authority. Typically, though, schools will benefit from significant extra resources – both in terms of extra funds and consultancy from the local authority and external providers.

In health and social care (England and Wales)

Monitor is responsible for putting NHS foundation trusts into special measures, while the NHS Trust Development Authority is responsible for other NHS trusts. This action is normally triggered by a Care Quality Commission inspection. An improvement director will be externally appointed and the failing Trust partnered with another high-performing Trust. An action plan is produced which is published on the NHS Choices website. Monitor may suspend some or all of the freedoms a Foundation trust has to operate as an autonomous body. Changes of the leadership of the organisation may be made. [5] In March 2021 it was announced that the special measures process would be replaced by a new oversight framework where providers, commissioners, and health systems will be allocated into one of four ‘segments’ that determine the level of scrutiny and intervention they get. [6]

Under the new recovery support programme the equivalent of special measures is called intensive mandated support. [7]

Perceived effectiveness

According to the research group Dr Foster Intelligence, the decision to put 11 trusts into special measures in July 2013 is likely to have saved hundreds of lives. [8]

Arts Council England

Arts Council England put English National Opera and Colchester’s Firstsite gallery into special measures in 2015 because of concerns over governance and the company’s proposed business model. [9] Firstsite subsequently was named Art Fund Museum of the Year 2021. [10]

In the water industry

On 11 July 2024, water regulator Ofwat put Thames Water into special measures, with a "turnaround oversight regime" subject to "heightened regulatory" scrutiny. The company had over £15.2bn of debt. Ofwat said: "Thames Water faces significant issues, and as it seeks to tackle them, our draft determinations will support a major investment programme but also subject the company to new, heightened regulatory measures." Through to 2029, Thames Water is required to reduce sewage spills by 64%, cut leaks by 19% and reduce supply interruptions by two-thirds. [11]

In Scotland the term 'special measures' is defined by the Victims and Witnesses (Scotland) Act 2014 to describe systems put in place by the judicial system to protect vulnerable witnesses in courts of law. This can include measures taken to protect the identity of witnesses perceived as under threat of intimidation, or witnesses in cases involving alleged sex crimes or crimes against children where the experience of the legal system itself could prove intimidating. [12]

Related Research Articles

Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Education (HMIe) was an executive agency of the Scottish Government, responsible for the inspection of public and private, primary and secondary schools, as well as further education colleges, community learning, Local Authority Education Departments and teacher education.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ofsted</span> Department of the government of the United Kingdom

The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) is a non-ministerial department of His Majesty's government, reporting to Parliament. Ofsted's role is to make sure that organisations providing education, training and childcare services in England do so to a high standard for children and students. Ofsted is responsible for inspecting a range of educational institutions, including state schools and some independent schools. It also inspects childcare, adoption and fostering agencies and initial teacher training, and regulates early years childcare facilities and children's social care services.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Estyn</span> Education and training inspectorate for Wales

Estyn is the education and training inspectorate for Wales. Its name comes from the Welsh language verb estyn meaning "to reach (out), stretch or extend". Its function is to provide an independent inspection and advice service on quality and standards in education and training provided in Wales.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monitor (NHS)</span>

Monitor was an executive non-departmental public body of the Department of Health, responsible between 2004 and 2016 for ensuring healthcare provision in NHS England was financially effective. It was the sector regulator for health services in England. Its chief executive was Ian Dalton and it was chaired by Dido Harding. Monitor was merged with the NHS Trust Development Authority to form NHS Improvement on 1 April 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Howden School</span> Academy in Howden, East Riding of Yorkshire, England

Howden School is a coeducational secondary school located in Howden in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South East Coast Ambulance Service</span> Provider of ambulance services for south-eastern England

The South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SECAmb) is the NHS ambulance services trust for south-eastern England, covering Kent, Surrey, West Sussex and East Sussex. It also covers a part of north-eastern Hampshire around Aldershot, Farnborough, Fleet and Yateley. The service was made an NHS foundation trust on 1 March 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Netherhall School</span> Academy in Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England

The Netherhall School and The Oakes College is a mixed secondary school and sixth form located in the Queen Edith ward of Cambridge, England. Its logo is a modified version of the arms of the City of Cambridge. It is one of the largest schools in the area in terms of capacity. Feeder primary schools include Queen Edith, Cherry Hinton Juniors, Fawcett, The Spinney, Morley Memorial, and Colville. It serves the south and east of Cambridge as well as villages which have become considered suburbs such as Cherry Hinton, Teversham, Fulbourn, Great Shelford, Little Shelford and Trumpington.

Drayton School was a comprehensive school situated on Stratford Road in Banbury, Oxfordshire, England. Established in 1973, its buildings are now occupied by the North Oxfordshire Academy which replaced Drayton School in 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Care Inspectorate (Scotland)</span> Scottish scrutiny body

The Care Inspectorate is a scrutiny body which supports improvement. They look at the quality of care in Scotland to ensure it meets high standards. Where improvement is needed, they support services to make positive changes. The Care Inspectorate was set up in April 2011 by the Scottish Government as a single regulatory body for social work and social care services, including child protection and the integration of children's services. The new organisation took on work in these areas previously carried out by:

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is an executive non-departmental public body of the Department of Health and Social Care of the United Kingdom. It was established in 2009 to regulate and inspect health and social care providers in England.

Peacehaven Community School is a mixed secondary school for 11 to 16-year-olds in Peacehaven, East Sussex in the United Kingdom.

Dixons Broadgreen Academy is a coeducational secondary school and sixth form located in Liverpool, England. It was formerly known as Broadgreen High School, Broadgreen Community Comprehensive, and Broadgreen International School.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hill View Academy</span> Academy in Almondbury, West Yorkshire, England

Hill View Academy is a 3–11 mixed primary school with academy status in Almondbury, West Yorkshire, England. It is part of the Impact Education Multi Academy Trust.

East Point Academy is an academy sponsored by the Inspiration Trust, located in the Kirkley district of Lowestoft, in the English county of Suffolk. It educates children from ages 11 to 16. In its latest Ofsted inspection in October 2016, the academy overall was rated as "Good". The school is also home to both the Lowestoft Railway and Lowestoft Ladies Hockey Clubs and the KITE Media Centre

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Discovery New School</span> Free school in Crawley, West Sussex, England

Discovery New School was a co-educational Montessori free school for pupils aged 4 to 10 located in Crawley, West Sussex. The school opened in September 2011 as one of the first free schools in the country and also the first Montessori free school. The school was funded directly by central government and had a planned intake of 16 pupils per year. Although the school adopted Montessori methods, the Montessori Schools Association (MSA) later said that they were refused permission to oversee the introduction of its teaching methods and had "warned the DfE of the school's likely failure" in 2010 before the school opened. Philip Bujak, chief executive of the MSA, said: "We were ignored completely." Martin Bradley, chairman of the MSA, said: "The Montessori Schools Association has had limited contact with the school from the start of the scheme. We suggested that they seek accreditation, but they did not."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oasis Academy Oldham</span> Academy in Oldham, Greater Manchester, England

Oasis Academy Oldham is a coeducational secondary school with academy status for 11- to 16-year-olds in the Hollinwood area of Oldham, Greater Manchester, England.

Winton Community Academy is a mixed secondary school located in Andover in the English county of Hampshire.

Dudley and Walsall Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust was an NHS trust set up in October 2008. It provides mental health services across Dudley and Walsall, West Midlands, England. It runs Dorothy Pattison Hospital and Bloxwich Hospital in Walsall, and Bushey Fields Hospital in Dudley.

Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust was formed in 2001 and gained Foundation Trust status in 2007. It runs three hospitals in Nottinghamshire - King's Mill Hospital, Newark Hospital and Mansfield Community Hospital. It also operates services from Ashfield Health Village.

West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust runs three National Health Services hospitals: Watford General Hospital, St Albans City Hospital and Hemel Hempstead Hospital, in Hertfordshire, England. It provides "acute healthcare services to a core catchment population of approximately half a million people living in west Hertfordshire and the surrounding area". The Trust also "serves people living in North London, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and East Hertfordshire".

References

  1. ↑ "Diweddariadau Blaenorol am y Mesurau Arbennig". Bwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Betsi Cadwaladr.
  2. ↑ DfES glossary
  3. 1 2 Schools Causing Concern (amended guidelines 2020), Department for Education and Skills, September 2020.
  4. ↑ "Ofsted guidance for teachers - NASUWT". www.nasuwt.org.uk. Retrieved 28 January 2021.
  5. ↑ "Special measures". NHS Choices. Retrieved 10 March 2015.
  6. ↑ "NHSE launches new intervention regime for struggling providers and health systems". Health Service Journal. 26 March 2021. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
  7. ↑ "Four ICSs and four trusts placed in new 'special measures' regime". Health Service Journal. 18 August 2021. Retrieved 26 September 2021.
  8. ↑ "NHS 'special measures' have saved hundreds of lives, say experts" . Independent. 8 February 2015. Archived from the original on 24 May 2022. Retrieved 10 March 2015.
  9. ↑ "English National Opera told to improve or face funding axe". Guardian. 12 February 2015. Retrieved 25 January 2022.
  10. ↑ "Firstsite named Art Fund Museum of the Year". Museums Association. 23 September 2021. Retrieved 25 January 2022.
  11. ↑ Lawson, Alex (11 July 2024). "Thames Water placed in special measures due to 'significant issues'". Guardian. Retrieved 11 July 2024.
  12. ↑ Scottish Government Website: http://news.scotland.gov.uk/News/New-measures-to-support-victims-and-witnesses-1ca2.aspx
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.