Issue - meetings

To provide an update on progress against the children’s services improvement plan to address the findings from the Ofsted inspection of local authority children’s services (ILACS) conducted in February and March 2024. This also includes the findings from the second Ofsted monitoring visit in June 2025, and the findings from the councillor visits to frontline services which took place in July 2025.

The committee received an update on the progress to date against the improvement plan following the Ofsted inspection in 2024, the findings from the second Ofsted monitoring visit which took place in June 2025, the findings from the sector led improvement partner (SLIP) work in August 2025, and the findings from the councillor visits to frontline services which took place in July 2025.

Members asked questions and provided comments in respect of

-       There was emphasis on the need for robustness in managing change;

-       In respect of work on case closures and exit interviews; were there any common themes emerging.

-       Concerns raised about senior leadership changes and vacancies affecting service delivery.

-       Workload pressures: was the quality of work being maintained.

-       Access to training issues

-       Children & Case Management - Suspensions: was it the same children being repeatedly suspended.

-       PLO (Public Law Outline): what was the reason for only 14 out of 90 targets met.

-       Request in relation to fast-tracking AI for form filling.

In response officers reported that:

-       Development of the workforce strategy was ongoing to address stress levels, supervision issues which had been highlighted

-       managing caseloads remains difficult.

-       Support for in-depth exit and stay interviews by the Principal Social Worker to understand retention.

-       There were 5 permanent Heads of Service in the social care structure and 3 agency, work continued towards establishing a stable, permanent workforce.

-       PLO (Public Law Outline): Backlogs and high caseloads impacting timescales

-       AI was part of a corporate programme but there was a cautious approach using it in sensitive areas, but it was acknowledged that there was potential for it to be used for things such as signposting.

RESOLVED:  

That the Children and Families Committee

1. Note the progress against the improvement plan.

2. Note the findings from the second Ofsted monitoring visit on children in need and child protection in June 2025.

3. Note the findings from the councillor visits to the cared for service, care leaver service and court team in July 2025.