Progress being made at council's children's services after 'serious and widespread failings'

A letter from Ofsted sent to Shropshire Council has revealed that progress is being made following a critical report of the authority's child protection services in January.

The original report followed an inspection in November 2023 and highlighted specific concerns over the "quality of social work practice".

The report stated that there were "serious and widespread systemic failings, leading to weaknesses in child protection practice, which leave children at risk of inadequate protection and significant harm."

Despite the findings, the service retained its overall 'good' rating from Ofsted and Shropshire Council said they were working hard to address the issues.

Following a recent 'focused visit' by Ofsted inspectors, a letter to the local authority has revealed that progress has been made.

During the visit on July 30 and 31, the inspectors found that senior leaders "have maintained a strong focus on service improvement" and that there had been increased fostering and residential capacity which allowed more children to be returned closer to home.

Inspectors also stated that investment in frontline staff had "led to the creation of an additional social work team, reducing caseloads for social workers so they have more time to spend with children in care, to build important relationships with them and ensure their plans are addressed."

The quality of assessments and care plans for looked after children were also praised, along with the timeliness and appropriateness of permanence planning, the support for children’s education and learning, and the responsiveness to children’s changing needs and circumstances.

A few areas of social work practice were flagged for needing improvements but Shropshire Council stated they were already taking steps to address them.

Councillor Kirstie Hurst-Knight, cabinet member for children and education, said she was "extremely pleased" with the outcome.

"This is a very positive report that reflects the dedication and commitment of everyone involved in supporting our children looked after.

“We have a clear vision for improving the lives of our children and young people, and we are determined to achieve it. We will continue to work closely with Ofsted and our partners to address any areas for improvement and to celebrate our successes.”

Tanya Miles, executive director of people at Shropshire Council, added: “We are delighted that Ofsted has recognised the progress we have made in improving our services for children looked after.

"We are very proud of our staff and carers who work hard to ensure that children are safe, happy and well supported. We are also grateful to our partners who have collaborated with us to develop new and innovative services to meet the needs of our children.”