Stockton Council's children's services need improvement - Ofsted

The council said it was pleased with parts of Ofsted's report

Children's services run by Stockton Council require improvement, education regulator Ofsted said.

Inspectors said there needed to be better management, more opportunities for children and better plans for children leaving care.

There had been significant improvements since the the last inspection in May 2019, it said, but weaknesses remained.

The council said it was "disappointed" but Ofsted had "recognised the improvements made".

It said it recognised that "further significant improvements" were needed.

'Inconsistent'

Ofsted's report said children in care "do not yet receive good enough services", but acknowledged that improvement plans were "beginning to develop traction".

It said people leaving care were mostly given good "purposeful support", but the quality was "inconsistent" and plans were not made well enough.

A "small but exceptionally talented and committed group of care leavers" worked to improve services but team leader's were responding to ideas too slowly.

Inspectors concluded that senior leaders knew their service well, but "there remain weakness".

Some care leavers had spoken positively about their experiences, the council said

"Skilled staff" were praised for their handling of domestic violence and abuse and their sensitivity to the needs of disabled children, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

However, further inconsistencies were found in fostering arrangements.

The council said it was "naturally disappointed" with the rating, but it was "pleased" that improvements had been acknowledged.

It said it was "pleasing" to see that care leavers had spoken positively about the service as part of the Ofsted report.

The need for further improvements had been recognised and staff are focused on "swiftly making this happen", it added.