Liverpool children's services rated 'Good' by Ofsted after turnaround from 'Inadequate'

Liverpool City Council's children's services have been rated 'Good' by Ofsted, completing a dramatic turnaround from an 'Inadequate' judgement just three years ago.

Inspectors praised the authority's "relentless improvement journey", highlighting significant progress across children's social care since its previous inspection in 2023. The watchdog judged the impact of leaders on social work practice, the experiences and progress of children who need help and protection, and the experiences and progress of children in care as 'Good', while the experiences and progress of care leavers were rated 'Requires improvement to be good'.

The report concludes that services for children and families are now "better and safer", with inspectors finding that areas requiring improvement had been addressed with "rigour and pace", leading to "tangible improvements across all areas of practice."

Ofsted also recognised the impact of the council's leadership team, noting that following the previous inspection they "recognised the need for change and acted without delay to implement improvement plans" and that "senior leaders have had a significant transformational impact across services but remain clear that momentum must be maintained to ensure consistently high-quality practice for every child."

Inspectors found that children are now seen promptly, with immediate safety plans implemented where necessary, while children's wishes and feelings are consistently reflected in assessments and planning. The quality of assessments was described as strong, with thorough consideration of family history and risk, supported by a clear focus on safeguarding and improving outcomes.

The inspection also highlighted improvements to Liverpool's social work workforce, with the council moving from relying predominantly on temporary staff to employing a majority permanent workforce. Reduced workloads have enabled practitioners to develop more meaningful relationships with children and families, while social workers told inspectors they felt well supported and appropriately challenged by managers, with morale described as high.

Despite the improved judgement, Ofsted identified areas requiring further attention, including responses to children presenting as homeless, children living in private fostering arrangements, the quality of pathway plans for care leavers and support for care leavers who are not in education, employment or training.

Councillor Liam Robinson, Leader of Liverpool City Council, said: "Three years ago, I promised we would fix our Children’s Services department, and we have delivered on that pledge. This has been a whole team effort, from the political and managerial leadership of the council, down to frontline staff and our partners who have been with us every step of the way.

"There is nothing more important than keeping our children safe and it is clear from Ofsted’s report that we have made major strides since 2023, delivering real improvements for young people."

Councillor Liz Parsons, Cabinet Member for Children’s Social Services, added: "I’m delighted that the hard work and dedication of everyone in Children’s Services has been recognised by Ofsted.

"We are absolutely committed to making Liverpool the best place for children to grow up and this recognition from Ofsted is a testament to the journey we’ve been on."

Jenny Glennard, Corporate Director of Children and Young People’s Services, said the inspection reflected both the commitment of the workforce and a renewed focus on children and young people's experiences.

"I am very proud of our workforce, our schools and our partners who work tirelessly to support the children of the city. There is always more to do, we will continue to build on this progress.

"Most importantly, it reflects a shift towards truly listening to children and young people and ensuring their voices drive improvement throughout our service.

"We are proud but never satisfied, and we know that improvement is a continuous journey – and our ambition is to make our services the best in the country."