Birmingham children's social care services no longer 'inadequate'

Clockwise from top left: Keanu Williams, Khyra Ishaq, Keegan Downer and Toni-Ann Byfield died in Birmingham

Children's social care in Birmingham is no longer judged as "inadequate" for the first time in 10 years.

A series of child deaths saw the service branded a "national disgrace" and it has been rated as inadequate since 2008.

But Ofsted found the city council had "effectively" acted on recommendations for improvement since its last inspection in 2016.

The authority is now judged as "requires improvement to be good".

A report published following the latest inspection in December 2018 found "considerable and focused work has resulted in a more effective response to the needs of children and families at the point of contact" and "most children in care live in stable placements".

The council delegated responsibility for social care services to Birmingham Children's Trust which launched in April 2018.

Birmingham City Council's children's services were branded a "disgrace" in 2008

Between 2003 and 2015, four children known to the city's care services died:

• September 2003: Toni-Ann Byfield, seven, is shot dead while visiting a man she believed was her father in London

• April 2004: The council admits it let Toni-Ann down

• May 2008: Khyra Ishaq, seven, starves to death in Handsworth

• February 2010: High Court rules Khyra was "failed by social services"

• October 2013: Serious case review finds opportunities were missed to save Keanu Williams, two, who was beaten to death

• September 2015: Keegan Downer, aged 18 months, is beaten to death by the woman appointed as her legal guardian

Analysis

Phil Mackie, BBC News Correspondent, Midlands

There are still lots of improvements which can be made, and the Birmingham Children's Trust's chief executive Andy Couldrick has only cautiously described it as a "solid base". But make no mistake, this is a really significant piece of good news for Birmingham.

I have been looking at these reports for ten years and each one has made miserable reading. There has always been litany of criticisms and failures, but today there is real cause for optimism.

The appointment of the Children's Trust has been the catalyst, but there has been dogged work by the city council too.

Areas highlighted by Ofsted as requiring improvement include:

• The quality, effectiveness and pace of partnership working with external agencies, including partner-led early help services

• Effectiveness of the fostering service

• Robust and timely focus on all permanence options for children

The report added improvements are evident but they are not yet "resulting in consistently good services" and "gaps remain" in some areas.

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The city's cabinet member for children's wellbeing, Councillor Kate Booth said: "We know what we need to focus on to build on this improved position.

"I am grateful to the social workers, family support workers and managers whose commitment has made this progress possible."