Care service for children on right track
The turnaround of a service which looks after Sunderland’s most vulnerable children is continuing in the right direction.
The latest Ofsted visit to Togeth e r fo r C h i l d re n (TfC), the company which h a s ta ke n ove r th e m a nagement of the city’s service, has noted it is “making sustained progress” in improving.
It was carried out as part of the watchdog’s regular checks after it graded the service, along with the safeguarding board, as “inadequate” in July 2015.
It is the second visit since TfC was launched in April and fifth since the grading was published.
Among the areas highlighted for praise was the effort to recruit staff, with 75 new workers taken on by the company.
The inspection focussed on areas including initial responses to those in need, including early help; assessment of risk; management decision-making, oversight and supervision; information sharing and partnership working.
Inspectors scrutinised re c o rd s , i nte r v iewe d s o - cial workers, managers and partnership organisations and reviewed documents.
In her follow-up letter, Fiona Millns, who led the team, said it found evidence of progress in several areas, as well as improved management oversight and better staff stability in some teams, as well as “clear strategies” in matters, including supporting staff recruitment.
Deborah Jenkins, chairwoman of the TfC board, said: “I’m pleased to see our progress to date and confident that the company will continue on this upward trajectory.”
Councillor Louise Farthing, cabinet member for Children’s Services at Sunderland City Council, added: “I am pleased to see we have seen some significant progress since the Ofsted report in July 2015, but no one is under any illusion that we still have a lot further to go in improving services for children and young people.
“Eve r yo n e at th e n ew company and the council is firmly committed to continuing our improvement.”
For more about TfC, visit www.togetherforchildren. org.uk.