Following an inadequate inspection judgment in May, Ofsted has found that Children’s Services in Liverpool have made improvements. The Ofsted team has praised the local authority for identifying and responding to immediate risks to children and for applying appropriate thresholds at the “front door” for children who need a social work service. However, inspectors note that sometimes these decisions aren’t prompt enough.
The Ofsted team has suggested that assessments need to improve to ensure that children’s needs are identified and responded to effectively. Social workers need to be aware of the full range of services available to support children and families. There is also a need to reduce caseloads, something the Council is focusing on.
The Department for Education also visited last month, and they too praised the improvements being made. Councilor Liz Parsons, Cabinet Member for Children’s Services, said that she was pleased that the inspectors had recognized the local authority’s efforts to improve and acknowledged the areas of weakness that still need to be addressed. She thanked staff for their commitment and effort in delivering the best possible services for young people.
She added that while there was still much more to be done, strong foundations are being laid to build on the improvements. The Ofsted letter summarizing the findings can be read on their website
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