We faced our own inspection yesterday, the Annual Performance Assessment by OFSTED and the Audit Commission! Like everyone else it involved a self-assessment against the Five Outcomes, huge amounts of work by colleagues from across Children's Services, mountains of paper, e-mail overload and incredible amounts of stress for everyone involved.

Colleagues again were brilliant. Led by Rosemary Archer, our Director of Children's Services, some incredibly talented people argued their case and demonstrated the real progress we are making here in Leeds to ensure that every child and every young person is happy, healthy, safe and successful and free from the effects of poverty. What came through was passion, determination, commitment, energy, hard work and inspirational leadership.

I just hope and pray that we convinced them that we are doing a good job and that the only thing that really matters, the outcomes we achieve for our children and young people, continue to show real progress and demonstrate the difference we are all making together.
Chris