Appropriate pace of change at Barnet
There is an appropriate pace of change at Barnet, a monitoring visit of the authority by Ofsted has found.
Inspectors noted that the local authority is consolidating the recent improvements to services for children and young people identified during the previous monitoring visits. Senior leaders and managers are maintaining their focus and there is an appropriate [...]
Reduced resources impacts negatively on social work in Oxfordshire
A reduction in resources in Oxfordshire children’s services combined with increased demand for services has resulted in a decline in the quality of some services, Ofsted has found.
Oxfordshire children’s services was previously graded as good across the board in Ofsted’s last inspection in 2014. Yet efficiency savings resulting in a reduction in resources and “a [...]
Funding to improve services to children of alcohol dependent parents
Local authorities have been invited to bid for funding to improve support services for children of alcohol dependent parents and dependent drinkers.
The Department for Health and Social Care and the Department for Work and Pensions have committed £4.5m of joint funding for up to eight local authorities which will be managed by Public Health England. [...]
Expert’s Corner: Mary Cullen
Clare Jerrom speaks to Independent Social Worker, Mary Cullen about the importance of attachment theory in social work practice.
Attachment theory can be under-rated in social work practice, an expert in parenting, emotional and cognitive functioning in children and adults has warned.
Independent Social Worker Mary Cullen says that while attachment theory is one of many [...]
Darlington requires improvement to be good
Darlington children’s services requires improvement to be good, Ofsted has said.
While adoption and experiences of care leavers were rated as ‘good,’ Ofsted deemed that leadership, management and governance, children who need help and protection and looked after children and requiring permanence required improvement to be good.
However, the Ofsted report said: “It has been a considerable [...]
Inspectors find ‘significant weaknesses’ in responses to children at Swindon
The quality of decision-making when children are first referred for help or protection has declined at Swindon children’s services since the last inspection in 2014, Ofsted has found.
In a focused visit of the local authority’s arrangements at the first point of contact for children who need help and protection, inspectors found significant weaknesses in [...]
