 leaders). Statistics: looked-after children - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) November Children in need in England (outturn from the CIN Census statutory data return, often closely scrutinised by media and local leaders). Statistics: children in need and child protection - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) November Fostering in England (outturn from the Ofsted fostering dataset collection) Fostering in England 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) February Children’s social work workforce Statistics: children's social work workforce - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) March Outcomes for children in need including children looked after and adoption Outcomes for children in need, including children looked after by local authorities in England, Reporting year 2023 – Explore education statistics – GOV.UK (explore- education-statistics.service.gov.uk) References: Ofsted inspection process Ofsted inspects services at short notice. The inspection is an opportunity to demonstrate the quality of local services and identify areas for improvement. It’s also a very challenging experience for most of the people involved, including data colleagues. In most councils, the whole organisation will prioritise the inspection response over most other work for the duration of the inspection. A poor inspection outcome will generate work, cost, and probably also staff turnover – as well as increasing the burden of work relating to Ofsted/DfE scrutiny in future years. The inspection timeline differs slightly by type of inspection, as detailed in Ofsted’s guidance documents. For CSC data people, the most relevant types are ILACS (Inspection of local authority children’s services, focused on the LA), JTAI (joint targeted area inspection, focused on LA and partner organisations), and SEND (special educational needs and di