West Sussex children's services rated good by Ofsted

West Sussex County Council children's services have been rated good in all four areas by Ofsted, marking a major turnaround from an inadequate judgement.

The latest inspection, carried out between 7 and 25 September, delivered the council's strongest ever results for children's services.

Ofsted inspectors praised improvements in safeguarding vulnerable children, supporting families and providing care for young people across West Sussex.

Although Ofsted no longer issues a single overall judgement, the council received a 'good' rating in each of the four areas assessed.

These included the impact of leadership on social work practice, the experiences of children needing help and protection, children in care, and young people leaving care.

The findings represent a major turnaround for the authority, whose children's services were judged inadequate by inspectors seven years ago.

Inspectors highlighted significant improvements in how children are protected and the support available to care leavers.

The report also found that social workers were building trusting relationships with children, while effective information sharing between agencies was helping to safeguard vulnerable young people.

Children's physical and emotional health needs were being regularly assessed, with family relationships carefully considered when planning support.

Inspectors also praised the council's leadership and its commitment to continuing improvements.

Council leader Councillor Jay Mercer welcomed the findings.

"Achieving a 'good' rating from Ofsted is a significant milestone for the county council and one that everyone involved in should be immensely proud of.

"This result is a testament to the professionalism, dedication and care shown every day by our children's services staff, who work tirelessly to support some of the most vulnerable children, young people and families in West Sussex. My sincere thanks go to every member of the team for their hard work."

However, Councillor Mercer acknowledged that challenges remain, including increasing demand for services and financial pressures.

"While we celebrate this fantastic success, we will not be complacent, we know there is more to do and we remain ambitious for the future."

Councillor Sam Raby, Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Learning, said the results reflected years of work to improve the service.

"The focus throughout our improvement journey has been on putting children, young people and families at the heart of everything we do. I've always been confident in the quality of services we deliver, and Ofsted's findings have only reaffirmed that belief."

Despite the positive findings, Ofsted identified areas requiring further attention.

Inspectors said the council needed to give greater consideration to children's cultural backgrounds and heritage before they enter care.

They also called for improvements in the timeliness and effectiveness of transition planning for young people approaching adulthood.

The council says it will continue working with staff and partner organisations to address these areas while maintaining improvements already achieved.

During the September inspection, Ofsted spoke to social workers, council staff, children, young people, families, carers, teachers and partner organisations.

The council says the results recognise the work carried out to improve children's services and provide better outcomes for vulnerable children and families throughout West Sussex.

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