Ofsted recognises that children looked after by the Council have a positive experience and make good progress

In its latest focused visit, Ofsted recognised that children looked after by Shropshire Council have a positive experience and make good progress.

The visit, which took place on 30 to 31 July 2024, looked at the council’s arrangements for children looked after, including unaccompanied asylum-seeking children and young people.

Inspectors found that senior leaders have maintained a strong focus on service improvement since the last inspection in February 2022, and that children benefit from stable and caring homes, strong and trusting relationships with their social workers, and effective support for their physical and emotional health needs.

The inspectors highlighted the effective partnership working that has helped to develop new services to address the emotional health needs of children looked after and to support foster carers to care for children with complex needs. They noted that more children are being returned closer to home through increased fostering and residential capacity, and that children are encouraged to pursue their hobbies and interests and to achieve their potential.

Inspectors also said that most children are making positive progress at school. There are strong links between schools, the virtual school, and social workers to ensure that schools have the right information and support to meet the child’s educational needs. Personal education plans are routinely reviewed, and the child’s voice, wishes and ambitions are central in informing these plans.  The virtual school has been successful in ensuring that no child in care has been excluded since the last inspection.

The report also noted that unaccompanied asylum-seeking children arriving in Shropshire are well supported by committed social workers who are sensitive to their cultural needs and experiences.

Inspectors also identified that investment in front-line staff has led to the creation of an additional social work team, reducing caseloads, and giving social workers more time to spend with children and ensure their plans are addressed.

In addition, the inspectors praised the quality of assessments and care plans for children looked after, 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.

The report identified some areas for improvement and the council are already taking steps to address these.

Councillor Kirstie Hurst-Knight, cabinet member for children and education, said:

“I am extremely pleased on the outcome of the Ofsted visit. 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, said:

“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.”

Tanya added:

“We are not complacent, and we know that there is more work to do to ensure that all children looked after have the best possible outcomes. We are committed to addressing the areas for improvement identified by Ofsted and to continue to build on our strengths.”

The full report of the focused visit can be found on the Ofsted website.