Issue - meetings

To consider the report of the Director of Children’s Services providing an update on the outcome of the recent unannounced Ofsted inspection of services for children in need of help and protection, children looked after and care leavers; and the effectiveness of partnership working, including the Leeds Safeguarding Children Board.  In addition, the report outlines the proposed next steps in view of this inspection outcome.

The Board considered the report of the Director Children’s Services which provided an update on the outcome of the recent unannounced Ofsted inspection of Leeds’ services for children in need of help and protection, children looked after and care leavers. The Inspection also covered the effectiveness of partnership working, including the Leeds Safeguarding Children Board. Additionally the report outlined the proposed next steps having regard to the outcome of the inspection.

The inspection was conducted 20th January to 11th February 2015 and Ofsted rated Children’s Services in Leeds ‘good’ overall. The report outlined the five key areas that contributed to this overall judgement and on four of these: children who need help and protection; children looked after and achieving permanence; adoption performance; and experience and progress of care leavers, Leeds had been rated as ‘good’. In the fifth area, ‘leadership, management and governance’ Leeds had been rated as ‘outstanding’.  Alongside this, the Leeds Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB) was also found to be ‘good’.

A number of areas for improvement were identified by Ofsted which were in line with Leeds’ own awareness and aspirations to take the service forward. A post inspection action plan was in development and would be presented to Executive Board in June 2015, alongside the new Children and Young People’s Plan, prior to submission to the Secretary of State and Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector in advance of the 3^rd July 2015 deadline.

The Executive Member, Children and Families, in presenting the report paid tribute to the officers and partner organisations involved in the work undertaken across the city to achieve this outcome.

The Executive Board noted and welcomed the outcome of the inspection as a considerable achievement for the council, its’ partners and the city, particularly given the significant investment, transformational change in children’s social work and the child friendly Leeds initiative which had placed and the quality standards required by Ofsted in the current inspection framework. Additionally, the work of the Scrutiny Board (Children and Families) was acknowledged

RESOLVED -

a)  To note the Ofsted report (attached at appendix A) and the two letters of congratulation (attached at appendix B and C respectively);

b)  To note that the post inspection action plan in response to the areas for improvement identified by Ofsted will be provided alongside the new Children and Young People’s Plan, to Executive Board at the June meeting prior to submission to the Secretary of State and Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector in advance of the 3rd July 2015 deadline;

c)  To note that the Officer responsible for implementation is Deputy Director Safeguarding Specialist and Targeted, Children’s Services by 3rd July 2015.