‘Safer, stronger, more consistent’: Children’s services celebrate best Ofsted report
POSITIVE FEEDBACK: Hull City Council’s Guildhall
By Rick Lyon, Co-Editor
Hull City Council’s children’s services have received their strongest ever Ofsted judgement, with inspectors highlighting sustained improvement and areas of outstanding practice.
Following an inspection in March, the council has been rated ‘Good’ overall for the first time, with ‘Outstanding’ ratings for the impact of leaders on social work practice with children and families and for the experiences and progress of care leavers.
Inspectors also rated the experiences and progress of children who need help and protection, as well as the experiences and progress of children in care, as ‘Good’.
The report recognises the significant progress made over the past five years, with leaders praised for transforming services into ones that are “safer, stronger and more consistent” for children and families.
Areas in need of improvement identified in the report are the consistency of scrutiny of child protection chair oversight and effectiveness of challenge, and the experiences of children with complex needs experiencing multiple moves that disrupt their lives.
Matt Jukes, chief executive of the city council, said: “This is a hugely positive report that reflects the dedication, skill and commitment of our workforce and partners in working with us to transform how we support our children, young people and their families.
“Over recent years, we have worked incredibly hard to improve, and it is encouraging to see that progress recognised.
“We remain committed to building on this success to continue to provide high quality services that support Hull children and their families to thrive.”
Inspectors highlighted that senior leaders provide a clear strategic vision with strong partnership working, families have easy access to effective early help support, managers maintain strong oversight of children’s safety and progress, parental views are actively sought and meaningfully considered, and children’s voices are central to planning and decision-making
Care leavers were found to benefit from “highly skilled, persistent and deeply relational support” ,helping them build confidence and independence as they move into adulthood.
Pauline Turner, director of children, young people and family services at the council, said: “A core commitment in our community plan is ensuring that children and young people in Hull reach their potential, and I am incredibly proud of the staff and partners who have played an important part in securing this good rating".
Councillor Linda Tock, portfolio holder for children’s services, said: “This report is testament to the collective effort across both the council and with our partners to put children at the heart of everything we do.
“The journey from previous inspections to where we are now has required sustained focus, investment and strong leadership.
“We are proud of the progress made and will continue working to deliver the very best services for Hull’s children, young people and families".
Read the report here: https://files.ofsted.gov.uk/v1/file/50301678