Council's 'inadequate' children services improving

The Ofsted report called on leaders to make rapid progress staff supervision and resources

A city council’s children's services, which were rated "inadequate" by Ofsted last year, are “making improvements”, inspectors have said.

A report by the education inspectorate found progress had been made by Peterborough City Council despite financial challenges. But added, that support is not consistent for all young people.

Last November, a board of governors was set up to make improvements after the council's response to child exploitation was ruled "not effective" by Ofsted, which added that it had left some young people in "situations of risk".

By July, the inspectors highlighted key areas of progress, which included experiences of care leavers aged 18-25 in challenging situations such as unstable housing or involvement with the criminal justice system, and the council has continued to improve.

Inspectors found that the local authority's self-evaluation was accurate and supported by effective auditing, but that more feedback from young people and routine consultation with partners could further strengthen the impact.

The report also called on leaders to make rapid progress in other areas that needed improvement, such as staff supervision and resources.

The council said management capacity and more personal advisers had been hired, which were “making a positive difference”.

There are now projects, like House, that have been developed to provide a base for people to access services and also help care leavers gain new skills.

Councillor Katy Cole, cabinet member for children's services, said: "This visit focused on our efforts to ensure our care leavers have better outcomes, and we are pleased that Ofsted has recognised our improvements.

"We’ve worked closely with external experts, staff, and care leavers to refocus the service. Financial resources have been committed to add much-needed capacity and resources.

"While there is still work to be done, we are confident that our ongoing efforts will lead to even better outcomes for our young people, and we remain dedicated to ensuring that every care leaver receives the support they need.”