Lancashire children’s services rated outstanding for leadership and care leaver support

Children’s services in Lancashire have been rated outstanding in key areas by Ofsted, with inspectors praising strong leadership, investment in services and the support provided to care leavers.

The inspection rated the impact of leaders on social work practice with children and families as Outstanding and the experiences and progress of care leavers as Outstanding. The experiences and progress of children who need help and protection, and the experiences and progress of children in care, were both rated Good.

The findings build on a previous Good judgement in 2022 and recognise what inspectors described as a confident and stable senior leadership team, a clear ambition for children and families and a strong focus on continuous improvement.

Inspectors highlighted investment in early help, workforce stability and specialist support, as well as services designed to help more children remain safely at home or within their wider family networks.

The report found that children and families can access a wide range of early help services through family hubs, while safeguarding responses were described as robust and assessments were found to reflect children’s voices.

Ofsted said: “(Social) Workers demonstrate a good level of professional curiosity about children’s lives, which enables them to identify risk and assess its impact.”

It also found that child-in-need and child protection plans were comprehensive, regularly reviewed and included the child’s voice.

For children in care, inspectors found that children enter care at the appropriate time when they can no longer safely remain at home, while support was also provided to help children achieve permanence and maintain their family identity.

Ofsted said: “The quality of assessments and plans of support for kinship carers are good.”

The report also noted that children in care told inspectors they felt listened to and looked after well.

Care leaver services received the highest rating, with inspectors praising the relationships between care leavers and their personal advisers, alongside financial, practical and emotional support.

Ofsted said: “Dedicated personal advisers (PAs) know their young people well, having been introduced to them in a timely way allowing for meaningful and trusting relationships to develop when children leave care.”

It added: “Children stated they feel secure, valued and listened to as a result, with care leavers experiencing positive levels of financial, practical and emotional support from those they view as trusted adults.”

Inspectors also praised Lancashire’s local offer for care leavers, which was co-produced with care leavers, and highlighted the role of personal advisers in supporting young people with additional health and wellbeing needs.

“The comprehensive local offer, co-produced with care leavers, offers a range of financial, practical and emotional support that benefits care leavers, making a positive difference to their experiences,” Ofsted said.

Leadership and the impact on social work practice were also rated Outstanding.

Ofsted said: “Lancashire County Council has a confident and stable senior leadership team, led by an experienced and capable Director of Children’s Services.”

It added: “This leadership team is ambitious for children and has made improvements to practice, management oversight and multi-agency working...”

The report also highlighted continued financial investment in children’s services and the redesign of early help and safeguarding.

Ofsted said: “Continuous financial investment in services has supported the redesign of services, such as early help and safeguarding, and has ensured that the model of social work practice meets the needs of the diverse and varied community of Lancashire and is well embedded.”

Inspectors also praised the council’s corporate parenting responsibilities and its approach to supporting the workforce.

“The workforce is overwhelmingly positive about the opportunities provided to it and the support and development it receives,” Ofsted said.

Cllr Evans, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Children and Families, said: “This is a proud moment for Lancashire and, most importantly, a strong endorsement of the difference our children’s services are making for children, young people, care leavers and families.

“The inspection recognises the dedication, skill and compassion of our staff, as well as the strength of our leadership and partnerships across the county.

“We know there is always more to do, and we will continue to build on this progress so every child in Lancashire has the support, care and opportunities they need to thrive.

“This recognition gives us a strong foundation to go further, working with families and partners to keep improving outcomes for children and young people.”

The council said the inspection also identified areas where further improvement is needed, including greater recognition of the needs of young carers in assessments and plans, consistency and quality of safety plans, and management oversight for children living in unregistered homes or with restricted liberty.

"As cabinet lead for children's and families, I could not be more proud of this outcome, both management and staff have shown real commitment to the young people of Lancashire, and have excelled in striving for excellence and innovation, and that is exactly what they have achieved."