Somerset Council’s Children’s Services have been described as having an ‘unwavering commitment to supporting children, young people and families’.
Inspectors from Ofsted highlighted several areas of strong practice and positive outcomes in their recent report. There were also areas recognised as needing improvement.
The full Ofsted report is published today on the Government’s website (Wednesday 17 June, 10am).
The inspection focused on four themes to assess how well Somerset Council is meeting its responsibilities in Children’s Services.
They were; the impact of leaders on social work practice with children and families, the experiences and progress of children who need help and protection, the experiences and progress of children in care, and the experiences and progress of care leavers.
The report rated Somerset Council as ‘requires improvement’, across three of the four themes, with a ‘good’ rating awarded for the progress of care leavers.
Positive highlights included:
- Senior leaders listen, value and work with children and young people.
- Social workers work closely with children and their parents and carers to help them to get the help they need, to be safe and have opportunities to live with their families.
- When it is not safe for children to stay at home with their parents, they come into care. Most live with foster carers who care about them and look after them well.
- Most children in care live in homes where they are happy and loved. Children take pride in their achievements and enjoy doing lots of activities.
- When young people leave care at 18, they are well supported into adulthood and to get their own homes, further education and jobs.
Alongside this, Inspectors noted that a small number of children do not get the support they need soon enough, and that too many live in care homes. And because there are not enough homes available for children in care in Somerset, some children move home too often, which is not good for their friendships and schooling.
Somerset Council is already taking decisive action to address these concerns by expanding foster carer recruitment and support, including innovative schemes like ‘Room to grow’, and securing increased benefits for carers.
The Council is strengthening partnership working and multi-agency decision-making to ensure timely and effective protection for vulnerable children. And is investing in workforce development and management oversight to ensure every child receives the right support at the right time.
The Lead Member for Children, Families and Education at Somerset Council, Cllr Heather Shearer, said: “I would like to pay tribute and thank the many children and young people, the families, our staff and our partners who all contributed to the Ofsted assessment.
“The overall rating is disappointing, and we will of course address those areas highlighted for improvement.
“But there is so much positivity in this assessment that we can be rightly proud of too, including the dedication and positive impact of our teams, especially for our care leavers and young carers.
“We remain fully committed to building on these strengths, listening to the voices of children and families and working with our partners to ensure every child in Somerset has the opportunity to thrive.”
Cllr Shearer added: “Expanding foster carer recruitment and support is key, as the report rightly indicates. Every child deserves to feel safe, loved and part of a family.
“We encourage people to consider fostering as an option. It can feel like a big step, but you would not be alone. Our carers are fully supported. You could be the person who changes a child’s life, and in so many ways, it can change yours too.”
Cllr Leigh Redman, Chair of Somerset Council’s Children and Education Scrutiny Committee, said:
“The publication of the Ofsted report is an important moment for Children’s Services in Somerset. While it is disappointing to see areas requiring improvement, it is also right that we recognise the strong practice highlighted by Inspectors, particularly the progress and support provided to care leavers.
“I welcome the clarity the report provides. Our role now is to ensure that the areas identified for improvement are addressed with pace and consistency, and that the positive foundations described by Inspectors are built upon.
“Scrutiny will continue to provide constructive challenge and support, ensuring that every child and young person in Somerset receives the right help at the right time. We will closely monitor progress against clear milestones to make sure improvements are delivered.”
Explore our fostering pages www.fosteringinsomerset.org.uk/
