Improvements in social services for kids - but it could still be better...
COUNCILLOR PLEASED THAT PROGRESS IS RECOGNISED
THE quality of care offered to vulnerable children in Leicestershire is improving but is still sometimes too slow, according to Ofsted inspectors.
A team from the watchdog carried out their latest official inspection of Leicestershire County Council’s children’s social services department in January.
The service had been rated as “requiring improvement” in the previous inspection in 2019, as reported at the time.
Ofsted had highlighted a number of concerns about the service, including cases of a small number of children who had been left in harmful situations for too long.
Now, it says effective work between the council and service staff, along with committed and strong leadership, has resulted in improvements for children.
However, some concerns the service remain.
Ofsted said some disabled children were not allocated a permanent, experienced case worker due to staff coming and going from the service.
This meant the service was sometimes still slow in ensuring their needs were met and plans were put in place to support them.
Officials said social workers knew the children in their care well, worked hard to include family members and made sure children had quick responses and were at the centre of all decisions.
However, they said some work still about needs to be done around care plans for the children who use the service.
These were not always focused on the specific needs of the child and some lacked clear timescales.
Inspectors also said some plans did not reflect the child’s current circumstances.
Ofsted said this made it difficult to monitor progress and assess whether the child’s needs are being met.
Yet, Ofsted noted that staff were happy in their roles and with their caseloads and felt well-supported by the management teams.
Councillor Deborah Taylor, the county council’s deputy leader and cabinet member for children and services, said the new report was “really encouraging”.
Coun Taylor said: “We listened carefully to what inspectors told us in 2019 and have been working hard to make genuine improvements to the services.
“Supporting children who need protection is one of the most important duties any council has and I’m really pleased that the inspectors looked thoroughly at the services we provide to some of the most vulnerable young people and recognised the progress we have made.
“Pleasingly, the inspectors confamily firmed that the continuous improvement work across the service is making the progress we want to see.
“I would like to thank all staff involved in supporting vulnerable children in need of help and protection for their dedication and hard work over the past few years and the families who have supported our journey towards improvement.
“There is much to be proud of. Whether they are the social workers or support staff working directly with children, line managers supporting workers or the many other key roles who help the department provide good services to children and their families.
“It is making a real difference to the lives of children who need us the most.”
Ofsted did not update the service’s rating this time.
But the county council said it was hopeful it would be awarded a “good” rating when officials carry out their next full inspection.