Book excerpt: With the establishment, on 1 April 2007, of the Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills, Ofsted's responsibilities for inspecting children's services changed substantially, with Ofsted now regulating and inspecting childcare, children's social care and provision for learners of all ages. This report covers the first full year of reporting on the organisation's new remit. The first section presents an evaluation of the quality and standards in care, early education, schools, colleges, adult learning and skills, and children's services. It is based on evidence from more than 45,000 inspections and regulatory visits in 2007-08. The second section draws on Ofsted's thematic inspections and surveys in the different areas of its remit. This section evaluates the effectiveness with which providers seek to address three important matters: improving the life chances of the least advantaged members of society through excellence in provision; safeguarding children and young people from neglect, abuse and other forms of harm; and enabling learners to acquire the skills they need to succeed in their working lives. The Chief Inspector is encouraged by the recognition that much is going well for so many children, young people and adult learners, but frustrated that there is still too much that is patently inadequate and too many settings and institutions where the rate of improvement is unacceptably slow.