‘Outstanding’ council receives praise for child-centred social work
Fiona Simpson
Monday, July 15, 2024
A local authority, rated “outstanding” by Ofsted, has been praised over putting the experiences of children “at the heart of social work”.
Leicestershire County Council was handed the inspectorate’s top rating following an inspection in April.
It had previously been rated as “requires improvement to be good” after an inspection in 2019.
“Significant progress has been made across all service areas. This improvement has been underpinned by an ambitious and child-focused senior leadership team that has successfully created a culture whereby the experiences and progress of children are at the heart of social work practice,” states the report.
“Most children in care and care leavers receive an outstanding service from workers, who know them extremely well. The vast majority of children live in stable homes with carers who are supportive and ambitious for children,” it adds.
Council leaders said they were “particularly pleased” to have been recognised for work with care leavers after Leicestershire passed a motion agreeing to treat care experience as a protected characteristic in February.
Jane Moore, director of children and family services at the council, added: “We are so pleased that Ofsted saw the quality of our work, our ambition and aspirations for children and our child-focused practice across the department. I want to thank all of the staff across the department for their dedication and unwavering commitment to getting it right for children, young people and their families.”
Ofsted has urged Leicestershire Council to improve its children’s services in areas including the monitoring of pre-proceedings in a bid to speed up processes and the timeliness of initial child protection conferences.
Meanwhile, Northumberland County Council has been uprated from “good” to “outstanding” by inspectors following a visit in May.
Ofsted praised the council’s “highly impressive children’s services senior leadership team”, stating that “children benefit from high-quality social work practice that improves their lives” in the county.
The report adds that family hubs pilots, which opened in the area last year, are “highly effective” and “are providing early help interventions that improve children’s experiences”.
Councillor Guy Renner-Thompson, cabinet member with responsibility for inspiring young people in Northumberland, said the report is a “testament to the dedication and passion shown by all our teams across the service and our partners to put children and families at the heart of all that they do”.
Elsewhere, Telford and Wrekin Council has retained its “outstanding” rating, first achieved in 2020, following an inspection in May.
Children and care leavers in the area benefit from “exceptional social work practice”, according to the report.
It adds that “senior leaders at Telford and Wrekin Council have continued to implement ambitious plans which prioritise the needs of children and young people” and praises work carried out through family hubs pilots in enhancing early help practices at the council.
Inspectors urged the council to ensure “the consistency of making children aged 16-and 17-years-old who present as homeless aware of their rights and entitlements” in a bid to further improve.
