Stockton Borough Council's service for vulnerable children improves

The council said "some very honest conservations" were held

Improvements have been made to a council's service for children with special needs after a number of weaknesses were previously identified.

In 2019 regulators found that Stockton was falling short in its duty of care to certain youngsters and families.

It means additional visits from Ofsted and NHS England will cease due to steps taken to address the concerns raised.

The council said it was "greatly encouraged" but recognised there was "still a lot more work to do".

It was the second time in a year the local authority was criticised over the care it provided to vulnerable young people.

'Honest conversations'

Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission had originally identified four main weaknesses.

It found that engagement and communication with parents was underdeveloped and the quality of special documents that set out a child's needs and support were too variable.

Other areas highlighted included improvements to fully embed Special Educational Needs and/or Disability (SEND) services, and to develop a better approach to evaluating plans.

Inspectors returned in July and found they had made sufficient progress in addressing significant weaknesses identified at the initial inspection, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

A joint statement from the council and the North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care board said "some very honest conservations" were held with those affected.

It also praised parents and carers for their support and also thanked staff for their "relentless commitment" to improving the lives of children.

"We put together an action plan to bring about the necessary improvements and we're pleased that inspectors have recognised the progress we are making," it said.

"We remain ambitious and wholly committed to further improvement."