Troubled children's services 'slowly improving'

Solihull Council has been under the microscope since the death of Arthur Labinjo-Hughes

An under-fire local authority is showing early signs of improvement in keeping children safe, Ofsted has said.

Solihull Council has been under scrutiny by the watchdog since the lockdown murder of Arthur Labinjo-Hughes.

Ministers took over its children's services department following outrage over the six-year-old's death.

Social workers had visited the youngster's home and found no issues, despite relatives expressing concern.

Improving from a low base

The latest report on Solihull's children's services was published on Wednesday.

It detailed a monitoring visit conducted by Ofsted in October, the second such inspection since bosses were judged to be inadequate in November 2022 in the wake of the murder.

Inspectors said the levels of protection being provided to children in need was slowly beginning to improve, but from a low base.

The report explained that social work practice across the borough continued to be inconsistent, negatively impacting children and families who often experienced too many changes in the management of their cases.

"There are early signs of improvement in social work practice for children," the report read.

"This is very recent and not yet consistently embedded across the service," inspectors added.

The borough's leader said children's services were its top priority

The report said frequent personnel changes in the management of cases meant social workers were effectively made to start again when it came to providing support.

Inspectors said it meant children and families had to develop relationships with multiple social workers and sometimes repeat troubling stories.

"This leads to drift and delay for children in [their] plans progressing and circumstances improving," authors wrote.

The report added leaders were attempting to implement a system where children had fewer shifts in those helping them.

But it said this had not yet been borne out, and children continued to experience too many changes in social worker.

Council 'fully committed' to change

Ian Courts, leader of Solihull Council, said children's services remained the borough's top priority.

He said social workers were developing better relationships with parents and children, helping them understand concerns.

"This council is fully committed to making the necessary changes to children’s services," he said.

"We recognise that greater pace is needed, along with more consistency in our social work practice."