Ofsted has rated Westmorland and Furness’ children’s services ‘Good’ – but added that better support for care leavers is needed.
The inspection is the council’s first since it replaced the former Cumbria County Council alongside the new Cumberland Council.
Ofsted conducted the full inspection of the council’s children services in April 2024, and included assessments of children in need of help and protection, children looked after and care leavers.
Inspectors said that significant improvement has been made in the council’s first year and highlighted how the council has established its own ‘unique identity’.
Today they have published their report from the inspection. Inspectors rated four of the five key assessment areas rated as ‘good’.
The new rating marks a considerable improvement since children’s services was last assessed as part of the former Cumbria County Council when it was rated as ‘requires improvement’.
The improved areas include the impact of leaders on social work practice with children and families, the experiences and progress of children who need help and protection and the experiences and progress of children in care.
While the services’ overall effectiveness was rated good – the inspectors rated the experiences and progress of care leavers as requiring improvement to be good.
Inspectors also said the following aspects of the service need to improve:
- The quality of written records about child protection enquiries
- The quality of child in need, child protection, personal education and pathway
- plans.
- The completion of life-story work for children in care.
- The quality of assessment and support for care leavers’ health, including ensuring
- that care leavers understand their health histories.
- The understanding and delivery of the local offer for care leavers, including for those aged 21 and over who need ongoing support.
Inspectors added that care leavers health needs are not always considered in their pathway plans and that they are not routinely provided with their health histories which does not help prepare them for adulthood.
Support for care leavers when they leave custody was also flagged as not sufficient and inspectors said planning for their accommodation, health needs, and employment had fallen to other agencies.
But Ofsted said that the council recognised this before the inspection and that revised processes are now in place to support care leavers when they are in
custody and when they are approaching release.
Ofsted also highlighted several strengths in their final report, including the following:
- Senior leaders have responded effectively and positively to local government reorganisation and the newly formed council has firmly established a unique identity.
- The experiences and progress of children who need help and protection, and for children in care, are good.
- Children and families in Westmorland and Furness receive timely and effective support from a broad range of universal and early help services.
- Children’s wishes are well captured during the multi-agency screening process and their experiences inform decision-making.
- The initial response to children at risk of significant harm is swift.
- Most children who come into care do so in a planned and timely way with robust management oversight.
- Staff feel extremely positive about working in Westmorland and Furness and recognise the positive developments to support social work practice over the last year. They feel cared for, listened to, and valued by all levels of leadership and management.
- Inspectors identified the experiences and progress of care leavers as the area which requires improvement to be good.
The council has said it is determined to continue its improvement journey in children’s services and achieve its objectives for every child in Westmorland and Furness.
Councillor Sue Sanderson, statutory member for children’s services and cabinet member for education, inclusion and skills, said: “It’s incredible how far we’ve come in such a short space of time.
“Children’s Services and their leadership team have worked incredibly hard over recent months to improve the services we offer for children, young people, and families and together we have developed an ambitious vision for the future.
“Our work does not stop here. We are absolutely determined to ensure that the areas for improvement identified in this report are dealt with quickly.”
Milorad Vasic, corporate director for children’s services, said: “I’m blown away by the tireless effort and determination from our incredible workforce. This result is testament to them and everything they do for our children and young people in Westmorland and Furness.
“Inspectors could see the improvements that we’ve made in our first year and can see that we have robust and ambitions plans to continue our improvement.
“What stood out for me from the report, was that the voices of children and young people are central to the way we work and that they are listened to – which has a direct impact on the services we provide for them. I’m proud of that.
“We are ambitious though, and we’ll continue to work towards continued improvement.”
