OFSTED FOLLOWS UP ON DAMNING CRITICISM OF CHILDREN’S SERVICES
Star line-up for Seaside Weekender
HIGHLY vulnerable’ children in Sefton are not able to access the support they require when they need it, according to a new report.
An Ofsted monitoring inspection for children’s services in Sefton said the council have ‘more to do’ after it showed support services are ‘too slow’ for the borough’s most vulnerable young people.
Sefton Council was rocked by the findings of a shocking 2022 Ofsted inspection which identified ‘widespread failures’ in its Children’s Services department.
The local authority’s services for children were described as ‘bleak’ with particular criticism levelled at the provision for highly vulnerable children who were left at risk of serious harm.
In a letter to the Department for Education, the monitoring inspector commented on improvements in the local offer for children as well as staff operating with more ‘ambition’ and ‘aspiration’ for young people as they leave care.
Staff within the service were praised for their hard work, commitment and willingness to develop their skills.
Senior leadership was also praised for implementing a positive change in the culture of the leaving care service and creating a ‘refreshed offer’ which better addresses the needs of care leavers.
Although these improvements are qualified by the inspector as being built from a ‘very low starting point’.
The inspection also brings focus to recent changes within Sefton Council at a strategic level and cites the new appointments of chief executive Philip Porter, director of children’s services Risthardh Hare and recently elected and ‘child-focused’ new council leader Cllr Marion Atkinson.
The report states how this new leadership group has brought ‘new ideas’ and ‘greater ambition’ for Sefton’s care leavers.
It said: “As a result, there is more focus and a drive towards a wholecouncil approach to improve outcomes for care leavers.
“Improvement plans have been refreshed and there are a number of additional supports for young people due to commence.”
However, there are still areas of serious concern for the council with the report highlighting how there’s still ‘more to do’ to get the borough’s services for children where they should be.
Furthermore, the inspector reports the pace of progress in some areas of practice has ‘been too slow’.
One area of improvement for Sefton Council is centred around the support available to young people with mental health issues.
Ofsted draw particular attention to the delays in children being able to access emotional and mental health support.
Additionally, the numbers of young people who are not in employment, education or training remains too high, those who need adult social care services do not receive them soon enough and the choice of accommodation for young people is described as ‘insufficient’.
Furthermore, there is ‘insufficient pace and prioritisation’ to prepare and support young people into employment, education or training an issue compounded by the longstanding poor educational support children received while in care.
Despite an increase in the number of personal advisers (PAs), high caseloads in the care leavers service mean there is ‘inconsistent’ contact between children and advisers to establish ‘critical’ and important connections which impacts on young people’s ability to form ‘enduring’ relationships to help prepare them for adulthood.
The quality of support for a ‘highly vulnerable’ number of young people in custody is described as ‘poor’. The lack of consistent contact and support from PAs creates a ‘barrier to engagement’ and leaves these young people ‘alone, highly vulnerable and without the support they need’.
Delays to accessing support are a significant problem for disabled young people and those with more complex needs.
The reports shows how adult social care assessments are not provided soon enough, lower-level mental health support is not ‘timely enough’ and how these shortfalls prevent young people from having their needs met at the ‘right time’.
Nonetheless, the report still shows ‘steady improvement’ for Sefton’s children’s services and shows support for children entering early adulthood is more robust.
This is acknowledged by the local authority who have been quick to accept the findings of the Ofsted inspection and commit to further improvements.
Cllr Marion Atkinson, leader of Sefton Council, said: “We welcome the latest report and have taken on board Ofsted findings and comments which highlights areas of improvement and areas of challenge that need more work.
“We will continue to work hard to improve services for children in Sefton and work closely with partners to ensure this happens.”
Dr Risthardh Hare, director of children’s services in Sefton, said: “All of us here in Sefton have great ambition for care leavers and want to be a meaningful part of their journeys into adulthood and do everything we can to help them thrive.
“I am pleased that Ofsted have recognised the changes in culture driven by a new vision and clear focus. However, we know there is still much more to do.
“The improvement areas highlighted by Ofsted come as no surprise to us; we know where we need to make progress and we are committed to making the changes we need to make to build a service that our children, young people and families deserve.”
THE Seaside Weekender festival, which is back for its fourth year, has some huge names on its line-up.
The three-day Seaside Weekender festival comes to Victoria Park, Southport on the weekend of Friday, June 7 with Funk and Soul on the Friday, Save The Rave on Saturday and Look-A-Like Tribute Festival on Sunday.
Now in its fourth year, Seaside Weekender welcomes tens of thousands of people over three days and features huge headliners, food trucks, stalls, visuals, confetti cannons, entertainers, giveaways and more.
Day tickets can be purchased from as little as £10 and weekend tickets from £40.
Organiser James Daly from Jaly Concerts said: “We’re now in our fourth year and the Seaside Weekender keeps going from strength to strength. Each year keeps on getting better, with more and more in attendance and 2024 might well be our biggest festival yet.
“Certainly, in terms of the line up, we have some huge names – it’s going to be a really special weekend.”
He continued: “Our aim is to showcase the very best acts and put on an incredible festival with something for everyone – all at a really affordable price.
“We’ve once again kept the ticket prices low and affordable with monthly payment plans available too as we know it’s been tough for people financially. It’s such good value and that’s something we’re really proud of.”
The Funk and Soul event on Friday consists of Craig Charles, Greg Wilson, Fat Tony, Norman Jay, Huey Morgan and Mark Lower performing alongside a host of talent including locals Sie Austin, Ant Chandler, Jimmy Allen, Dave Graham and others.
Save The Rave on Saturday includes Nathan Dawe, K Klass, Livin Joy, Lee Butler, Seb Fontaine, Anton Powers, Graeme Park, Ultrabeat, N Trance and more, while Sunday’s Look-A-Like Tribute Festival, which is a more family friendly event, features tribute acts playing music from the likes of The Beatles, Fleetwood Mac, ABBA, Oasis, David Bowie and Queen.
The Botanic Gardens Family Fun Day takes place on June 16. BELOW: Andrew Wareham and daughter Katherine outside Checkers of Churchtown, also pictured above left
ONE of the longest-established local businesses in Southport has been announced as the headline sponsor for the 2024 Botanic Gardens Family Fun Day in Churchtown.
Checkers of Churchtown is backing the popular annual family fun day on Sunday, June 1 (Father’s Day), which attracts thousands of families every year.
The event is free to attend with every penny raised going towards making vital improvements to the historic park.
It is organised by volunteers from the Botanic Gardens Community Association and the Make A Change For Botanic campaign.
Attractions include live music, dance groups, fairground rides, inflatables, stalls, brass band, food and drink, face painting, donkey rides and lots more.
Andrew Wareham, Checkers of Churchtown MD, said: “We are one of the longest established family-run businesses in Southport.
“We have always been keen to do what we can to support local community events in Southport where we can.
“When event organiser Jess Rickers approached us to say that the Botanic Gardens Family Fun Day needed a sponsor, we were delighted to support it. The Botanic Gardens is a beautiful, historic park that has been enjoyed by many generations of local families and we want to see it there to be visited for generations to come.
“The Botanic Gardens Community Association and the Make A Change For Botanic campaign group are doing a magnificent job in raising funds to improve the park and this annual fun day in June is one of their major fundraisers with lots going on for people to enjoy.”
Checkers of Churchtown has built a reputation for the quality of its service over many years.
Their friendly team is always on hand to help with anything that people need whether it’s kitchens, bedrooms, bathrooms or the tiniest nuts and bolts, paint, wallpaper and much more.
The Which? Trusted Trader is situated in Churchtown Village at 35-39 Botanic Road, Southport, Merseyside, PR9 7NE.
Andrew Wareham said: “My Dad, David Wareham, established Checkers in 1980 and I came on board in 1991. My daughter, Katherine, is the third generation of our family to work here.
“We are a family-run business and always have been. We have a huge range of products and it’s the quality of the service that we offer that makes us stand out.
“We are a one stop shop for everything hardware related and everything for the home and garden, whether you need a new kitchen, a new bedroom, a new bathroom or want to make improvements to your home - we have the lot.
“We have a great showroom on two floors. You are welcome to call in and have a look around and get some ideas on what your home could look like. We are open seven days a week, 9am-6pm
Monday to Saturday and 10am-4pm on Sundays, while we are also open 10am5pm on Bank Holiday Mondays.”
The Botanic Gardens Family Fun Day will be held at the Botanic Gardens, Churchtown, Southport, on Sunday, June 16, between 10am and 4pm.
It is sponsored by Checkers of Churchtown at 35-39 Botanic Road, Southport, phone: 01704 224488 or freephone: 0800 298 0747 or visit: www.checkersofchurchtown.co.uk.
Would you like to help the campaign to improve the Botanic Gardens in Churchtown in Southport? Please join the Make A Change For Botanic Facebook group.