The council said it had "recently raised the bar" by introducing an additional NVQ test for new applicants "to ensure that they understand good practice and are committed to providing good service before they are given a licence to operate here".

BBC: Pontypridd and Cardiff

And if it has done nothing else, the committee has performed a service in getting emerging countries to think about what constitutes good supervisory practice.

ECONOMIST: New crises, new rules

But inspectors said in some areas the service could do better, saying practice was more often satisfactory than good, and that young people were not sufficiently challenged to do better.

BBC: NEWS | UK | England | Cumbria | Youth service praised by Ofsted