A round up of Ofsted inspections from the last month.
Ofsted praises progress at Dudley
“Positive progress” has been noted at Dudley Council’s children’s services department by Ofsted in a monitoring visit of the authority.
In the fourth monitoring visit since the local authority was judged to be inadequate in April 2016, inspectors said the implementation of the local authority’s improvement plan is resulting in positive progress.
Cheshire West and Chester praised in work tackling neglect
Strong partnership working in Cheshire West and Chester has been praised by Ofsted and other inspectorates in a Joint Targeted Area Inspection focusing on neglect.
Ofsted, HMI Probation, HMI Constabulary, Fire and Rescue Services and The Care Commission found Cheshire West and Chester had a “clear and collective commitment” to improving responses to children who suffer neglect.
Sustained progress at Sunderland, says Ofsted
Ofsted has highlighted “sustained progress” at a children’s services department taken over by a mutual earlier this year.
After Sunderland Council’s children’s services department was judged inadequate in June 2015, it set up Together for Children to deliver children’s services functions on behalf of the council, including early help, social care and education services for children.
Leadership at Camden is judged as outstanding by Ofsted
Ofsted has praised children’s services in Camden, rating them overall as good.
An inspection of the London Borough rated leadership, management and governance and adoption services as outstanding while child protection, children requiring permanence and care leavers services were rated as good.
Poole ‘requires improvement’ finds Ofsted
Children’s services in Poole require improvement to be good, Ofsted has said.
Inspectors highlighted that the director of children’s services and her leadership team have worked purposefully with partners to implement a number of changes to improve outcomes for children since the last inspection in 2011.
“As a result, some children receive helpful interventions,” said the report. “Yet, despite these developments, outcomes for children across the services are inconsistent. While the council’s adoption performance and its support for care leavers are strong, the pace of overall improvement across the service has been variable, and weaknesses have emerged in services for children looked after and in need of help and protection.”
Ofsted praises greater workforce confidence at Reading
Greater workforce confidence has been identified by Ofsted inspectors in a follow-up visit of Reading children’s services.
Skilled, experienced early help practitioners and their managers have a stronger profile and influence in children’s services. This is demonstrated in greater workforce confidence, exemplified through, for example, more rigorous escalations of safeguarding concerns to the children’s single point of access (SPA), said the report of the fourth monitoring visit since the local authority was judged inadequate in June 2016.
Ofsted rates Shropshire children’s services as good
Strong operational practice in early help services for children in Shropshire has been identified by Ofsted inspectors.
The Ofsted inspection team rated Shropshire’s children’s services as good overall.
“A particular focus on early help services for children who need help and protection or are at risk of child sexual exploitation, neglect and/or domestic abuse has led to strong operational practice in these areas, supported by a keen culture of learning and improvement,” said the report.
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Ofsted: South Tyneside’s children’s services are good
Children’s services in South Tyneside have been rated as good overall, with adoption performance being praised as outstanding.
The senior leadership team has systematically and comprehensively addressed shortfalls identified in the joint targeted area inspection (JTAI) in February 2016, and outcomes for children in need of help and protection and children looked after are improving and are now good.
“The chief executive is resolute in his ambition to provide outstanding services for children in South Tyneside and has recruited a senior leadership team that shares his ambition. The director of children’s services, who took up post in 2016, has taken a systematic approach to improving services for children,” said the report.
