Children’s services improving - Ofsted

OFSTED says children’s services in Kirklees are improving - but there is more work to do.

Nearly two years after a damning inspection report that led to government intervention, education and children’s watchdog inspectors say “steady progress” is being made.

Among the key observations was that “no children were seen where risk of immediate harm was unassessed and not responded to.”

But following their fifth monitoring visit since Kirklees Council was judged inadequate they again highlighted concerns including the high case-loads facing some social workers and the insufficient assessment of some children.

The cumulative impact of risk was not always recognised in assessments and planning, and quality of social work was “variable.”

The response to children in need was “not sufficiently robust”, there was “drift and delay” around some assessments and whilst staff had received training it had not been embedded and so it was too soon to see its impact.

Inspector Rachel Holden wrote: “There is more work to do to improve and embed the quality and timeliness of the social work response to children and families, to tackle drift and delay.”

However the letter also made 19 separate references to improvements across services.

Chairman of the council’s Children’s Scrutiny Panel, Clr Cahal Burke, described the improvements as “quite pleasing” and added: “Everyone has a firm handle on the journey that lies ahead.”

Sal Tariq, deputy director for safeguarding, specialist and targeted services, said there was a recognition by Ofsted that Kirklees Children’s Services were delivering “in the right direction.”

He added: “In 2016 they were talking about widespread and systemic failure. Staff have been working really hard to get us to this point. Whilst there is lots of progress there is still plenty to do.”

Over the past few months the council has recruited 45 new social workers and reduced agency staff numbers across the service from 70 to 10.

Around a dozen former agency staff have been recruited by the council on a full-time basis. The authority expects to have only five vacancies by the end of this month.

Concern was expressed about some social workers’ case-loads but Mr Tariq reported “a significant reduction” from a high of 27 or 28 down to 18.

“I think the caseloads are now in a much more stable and effective place,” he said.

Mr Tariq and his team will meet with Ofsted in October to provide the latest performance information.

A final monitoring visit is expected to take place before the end of the calendar year.