Ofsted praise “continued improvement” to Children and Young People Services

Ofsted has commended the continued progress of the improvement in Liverpool City Council’s Children and Young People’s Service. The findings of Ofsted’s two-day visit, conducted in July 2024, have been published and concluded that “the permanent senior leadership team is driving improvement plans at a timely pace.” They also found that: Ofsted also recognises that the recruitment and retention work in place is beginning to stabilize the workforce, meaning children are now experiencing fewer changes in social workers. The inspectors […]

Ofsted has commended the continued progress of the improvement in Liverpool City Council’s Children and Young People’s Service.

The findings of Ofsted’s two-day visit, conducted in July 2024, have been published and concluded that “the permanent senior leadership team is driving improvement plans at a timely pace.”

They also found that:

• There is enhanced senior manager oversight and tracking of permanence plans for children.
• Increased capacity and reduced social work caseloads are now achieving “permanence more efficiently”.
• There are improvements in wider council support services, including human resources (HR) and information technology (IT).
• Prompt consideration is given to short- and longer-term plans for those children who come into care in an emergency.
• More children now receive support to help them understand their histories and why they are in care.

Ofsted also recognises that the recruitment and retention work in place is beginning to stabilize the workforce, meaning children are now experiencing fewer changes in social workers.

The inspectors also reported that staff feel well supported by their colleagues, managers, and senior leaders, who they describe as approachable and visible. Caseloads have reduced over the last few months, with social workers reporting that they now have more time to do better quality social work.

While there has been progress, the report identifies the need for further improvements in quality and impact in some areas: The frequency of visits is not always consistent with the changing needs of children.

Although the overall quality of social work visits has improved since the visit in March 2023, there are some visits that lack “purpose and a clear outcome.”

Councillor Liz Parsons, Cabinet Member for Children’s Services, said: “We welcome Ofsted’s recognition of the strides we are making in improving our services for Children and Young People. The praise for our timely progress is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our teams.

“However, we acknowledge the areas where there is still inconsistency in practice and are committed to addressing these issues head-on.

“I would like to thank our staff for their hard work and dedication, and I am particularly pleased that we are really starting to see the positive impact from the additional resources.

“Our focus remains on ensuring that every child in our care receives the highest quality support, and we will continue to build on our progress with a commitment to excellence.”

Jenny Turnross, Director of Children and Young People’s Service, said: “We are pleased to welcome the findings of the Ofsted report, which highlights both our successes and areas where we need to improve.

“We are fully committed to improving our services to ensure that every child in our care has the best possible start in life.

“We will continue to work tirelessly to create a nurturing and supportive environment where children can thrive and reach their full potential.”

Now is the right time to join Liverpool as we continue our journey for excellence.

If you are a newly qualified Social Worker, or are currently working with Children and Young People and are interested in working at Liverpool City Council, please take a look at our current vacancies here https://jobs.liverpool.gov.uk/jobs/search

Find out more about what it’s like to work in Liverpool’s Children’s and Young People’s Service. https://liverpool.gov.uk/childrens-social-care-recruitment/join-us/