Children's services in Walsall rated good after 12 years

Rita Homer says a new way of working helps understand the whole family's needs

Children's services in Walsall have been praised for "exceptional practice".

Ofsted inspectors have rated the service as good after 12 years of saying it required improvement.

Investment in recuiting had meant caseloads for social workers had reduced significantly, the watchdog said.

The council said it was delighted with the rating and it had carried out an ambitious improvement programme.

At one point an improvement notice was served on the department after it was found children in the area were being "left at potential risk of harm."

In her report lead inspector Julie Knight said investment in workforce recruitment, retention and well-being had resulted in increased staff stability at the service.

"As a result, some exceptional practice from social workers helps children's experiences improve and supports families to make positive changes to their lives," she said.

The councillor in charge of the service Timothy Wilson says there is still more to do

"Nine years ago our children's services were criticised for being inadequate, we were letting our children down, " said Timothy Wilson, who oversees the service at Walsall Council.

An additional £2m in funding had been put into an "ambitious transformation programme" which had resulted in "much a better outcome," he added.

Kinship carers Debbie Harris has received help and funding from the authority to look after her partner's grandchild, helping reduce the caseloads of social workers.

"Keeping children with their families is the most important thing," she said.

"It's the best thing for her to grow up, and it's what we should be doing anyway, we are family."

Debbie Harris and partner received help from the council to home their granddaughter

Analysis, Ben Godfrey, BBC Midlands Today

Early interventions like that of Debbie Harris were almost unheard of in 2012, when Ofsted labelled the department inadequate over a multitude of failings.

Years ago, some social workers were managing individual case loads of around 30, today that's more like 15 to 20 and it's allowing continuity so social workers can spend more time with a family.

At a centre in Darlaston, there are now in-depth case meetings for each child - drawing together experts.

The report highlights exceptional practice from social workers, a skilled and stable workforce and highly effective support for disabled children.

Progress a decade in the making, but with some areas still needing better management.

For children's services, Walsall joins a small cluster of good or outstanding councils in this region, with the majority still considered by Ofsted as inadequate or requiring improvement.

Rita Homer, head of service for family safeguarding locality teams, said under the council's new system groups of professionals worked together to understand children's needs.Health visitors, social workers or midwives might collaborate "in order to truly understand the whole family," she said.

The report concluded that improvements still needed to be made in supporting children living in private fostering and unregistered children's homes.