DfE withdraws intervention after improvements in council's children's services

The Department for Education has withdrawn its intervention into Hull City Council’s children’s services after reviews from the Government-appointed Commissioner found progress made.

Writing a letter to Matt Jukes, Chief Executive of Kingston-Upon-Hull City Council, the Children’s Minister said he was revoking the statutory direction issued in March 2020 and ending the requirement to work with a Commissioner.

Paul Moffat was appointed to oversee improvements for children’s services in Hull following an Ofsted inspection in January 2019 which judged the council to be ‘Inadequate’. At the time, inspectors said social care services for vulnerable children were inadequate leaving some children at risk of harm and found “significant weaknesses” in relation to SEND service provision.

“Some children and young people do not always get help and protection when they need it most. Senior managers at the council know they need to make a lot of changes to make sure children and young people get the right help at the right time. They need to get much better at helping disabled children and those young people who become homeless,” Ofsted wrote in its inspection report in 2019.

However, in his letter last week, Clarke-Smith wrote that he was content to revoke the statutory direction resulting from that and following inspections.

“At Paul Moffat’s last Commissioner review (January 2022), he spoke of the positive work the Council has undertaken over the last two years, and I am aware this has continued over the last six months.

“In light of this progress Paul Moffat also recommended that he withdraw from the Council in July 2022. In recognition of the progress made by the Council I am content to revoke the statutory direction of 16 March 2020, in line with s.570 of the Education Act 1996, and end the requirement placed upon you to work with a Commissioner.”

A monitoring visit from March this year praised “skilled leaving care workers are providing greatly improved support to care leavers in Hull”, as well as a “stable and determined leadership team, supported by deeply invested and committed elected members.”

The Children’s Minister said, however, that while the statutory direction was being revoked, he would be issuing an improvement notice “to reflect that there is still some distance for the Council to travel”.

“Until I receive sufficient evidence that DfE oversight is no longer needed, the improvement notice will remain in place.

“This notice will refer and apply only to the Council’s children’s social care services, as DfE and NHS England will monitor, support, and challenge the Council’s progress in SEND via biannual reviews of the Accelerated Progress Plan until the remaining area of weakness has been adequately addressed.”