OFSTED prevents public telephone calls

The request was partially successful.

Dear Office for Standards in Education,

(1) On http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/contact-us

is one telephone number for OFSTED. it is 0300-123 1231.

(2) Calling that number gives 5 choices

1. if child
2, make payment
3. if provider
4. if applicant
5. if member of the public

(3) Selecting option 5, Member of the Public, one is presented with 4 choices

1. concerns about a provider
2. providers details
3. inspection reports
4. careers

(4) If one wants to ask where is the missing and highly damning OFSTED report into Slough Borough Council's children's services, one presses 3.

(5) The automated OFSTED telephone answering system then declares the information is on OFSTED's web site and promptly disconnects the caller.

(6) Alternative OFSTED numbers no longer work including

0300-123 3160 - call centre
0115-944 9000 - operator
020-7421 6800 - call centre

However the generic press office telephone number does.

(7) FOI question: What telephone number can the public call to speak to an OFSTED Human Being ? Clearly that is currently not possible with OFSTED's existing and highly restricted telephone menus system.

(8) FOI question: Why and when did OFSTED decided to stop accepting general calls from the public as evidenced from the automated OFSTED telephone menus ?

(9) FOI question: What is the total annual payment made to the OFSTED chairman ?

(10) FOI question: Please provide a signed copy of the OFSTED's acceptance of the current telephone menu system on 0300-123 1231.

(11) FOI question: How much did OFSTED's current telephone menu system on 0300-123 1231 cost to set-up and how much to maintain annually ?

(12) An OFSTED call centre person (on a Newport Gwent telephone number) called me, in response to my press office call. The lady explained that if the public wanted to see an inspection report they should use the General non-specific search box and not click-on the Inspection Reports choice.

(13) The OFSTED lady said that instead of looking for an Inspection Report published on a known date, the public should instead select the 'Name, address or URN' option.

(14) The OFSTED lady said that if the public wanted to speak to an OFSTED Human Being about an inspection report they should select 'concerns about a provider' and not select the 'inspection reports' option.

(15) FOI question:

(a) For how long has the generally unfit for purpose telephone menu system been in place ?

(b) For how long has OFSTED been aware of some severe deficiencies with parts of its telephone menu system ?

(c) Who at OFSTED has tested the telephone menu system, and when, to ensure the best service possible is given to the public - instead of wasted calls, frustration and high blood pressure ?

(16) FOI question: Please provide a copy of the OFSTED inspection report of its own public web site's 'Inspection Reports' search facility and the date it was done.

(17) FOI question: Does the incumbent OFSTED chairman Sally Morgan have full confidence in all aspects of both the OFSTED web site and the OFSTED telephone menu system ?

Yours faithfully,

Mr Janik.

InformationRequest, Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills

Dear Mr Janik,

Thank you for your email submitted via the WhatDoTheyKnow website. I can confirm that Ofsted’s Information Management Team are considering your request for information and will contact you again in due course.

Should you have any queries or concerns please do not hesitate in contacting me.

Yours sincerely

Ali O’Neill

Alastair O’Neill
Information Delivery Officer
Information Management Team
Ofsted | Freshford House | Redcliffe Way | Bristol | BS1 6NL

Ofsted National Business Unit: 0300 123 1231
www.ofsted.gov.uk
Ofsted on Twitter at http://twitter.com/Ofstednews

show quoted sections

Alastair O'Neill, Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills

1 Attachment

Dear Mr Janik,

 

Please find attached a letter in relation to your request for information.

 

Yours sincerely

 

Ali O’Neill

 

Alastair O’Neill

Information Delivery Officer

Information Management Team

Ofsted | Freshford House | Redcliffe Way | Bristol | BS1 6NL

 

Ofsted National Business Unit: 0300 123 1231

[1]www.ofsted.gov.uk
Ofsted on Twitter at [2]http://twitter.com/Ofstednews

 

 

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2. http://twitter.com/Ofstednews

Alastair O'Neill, Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills

1 Attachment

Dear Mr Janik,

 

Please find attached our response to your request for information.

 

Yours sincerely

 

Ali O’Neill

 

Alastair O’Neill

Information Delivery Officer

Information Management Team

Ofsted | Freshford House | Redcliffe Way | Bristol | BS1 6NL

 

Ofsted National Business Unit: 0300 123 1231

[1]www.ofsted.gov.uk
Ofsted on Twitter at [2]http://twitter.com/Ofstednews

 

 

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You can now register and subscribe for tailored Ofsted updates. Visit
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References

Visible links
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2. http://twitter.com/Ofstednews

Richard Taylor left an annotation ()

We have removed the direct work phone number for the information officer who responded to this request. We took this action after being contacted by a manager at OFSTED who explained the individual was receiving calls on matters unrelated to their work as an information officer and this was causing disruption.

We appreciate the irony here given the subject matter of the request.

A phone number for OFSTED is provided in the responses - 0300 123 1231.

We are generally happy to publish public sector worker's direct work phone numbers but in rare cases where we accept a case being made that a nuisance is being caused we do act to remove them where an appropriate alternative contact number is supplied.

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Richard - WhatDoTheyKnow volunteer

Richard Taylor left an annotation ()

Ofsted have asked WhatDoTheyKnow to add the following to this thread:

"
If you want to make an online complaint to Ofsted about a school, college or training provider, please use this form: https://contact.ofsted.gov.uk/online-com...
"

--
Richard - WhatDoTheyKnow.com volunteer