Kingston-upon-Thames children’s services rated 'outstanding' by Ofsted

Kingston-upon-Thames children’s services is run by mutual organisation Achieving for Children (AfC) and was handed a rating of “good” when it last received a full inspection in 2015.

Following a visit from Ofsted in October this year it has been upgraded to outstanding for its overall effectiveness. Support for children in care and care leavers, as well as social work leadership also received the inspectorate’s top rating.

“Senior managers and elected members demonstrate a relentless determination to provide the best possible services, based on a comprehensive understanding of practice and performance and of the needs of children and families in Kingston,” say inspectors in their report.

The inspection team also praise the "highly skilled and well motivated" children’s practitioners in the department, “who take great pride in their work”.

“They are supported by managers who are equally passionate about improving children’s experiences,” Ofsted’s report states.

The service’s work protecting children and supporting children in need of help has been graded “good”.

• Deprivation is key factor affecting spending on children's services
• Review of inspection framework highlights areas for improvement

Inspectors welcome the early help available to children and families and “thorough” assessments made. This includes offering family coaching and having a clear understanding among children’s professionals of thresholds for support.

Recommended improvements include reviewing plans for disabled children. While assessments for children with disabilities are updated every six months, not all of these plans include “clear actions” on addressing their needs, inspectors found.

Inspectors also want to see a better range of employment opportunities, such as apprenticeships, for care leavers and vulnerable young people. Such programmes are currently “underdeveloped”.

“The determination, hard work and ambition to improve – from our skilled and thoughtful practitioners right through to our senior leaders and partners – has led to this result,” said AfC managing director Ian Dodds.

“For Ofsted to recognise the progress we have made and the excellence of our services for the most vulnerable children and young people in our borough makes me extremely pleased and incredibly proud.”

AfC also manages children’s social care in Richmond as well as Windsor and Maidenhead.

Meanwhile, "inadequate" rated North East Lincolnshire Council has been issued with an improvement notice following criticism from Ofsted inspectors, who undertook a monitoring visit in October.

They found “significant weaknesses” in child protection support and that “some children are not being appropriately safeguarded or having their needs met in a timely way”.

Inspectors add that during their visit “children were found to be at risk”.

Social workers are failing to properly assess cases involving children at risk of harm, who are being left in unsafe situations for too long, inspectors found.

Last month, Steve Kay, North East Lincolnshire council’s director of children’s services (DCS) resigned amid reports of poor quality of support to children in need of protection and high social worker caseloads.

He was replaced as DCS by the council’s deputy chief executive Joanne Hewson.

North East Lincolnshire council has been contacted for comment.