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Child safety records scrutinised | Child safety records scrutinised |
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Children's services inspectorate Ofsted says some English local authorities have had "inadequate" child protection. | |
Last year five areas were in this category as regards keeping children safe: Hertfordshire, Isles of Scilly, Salford, Stoke-on-Trent, Peterborough. | |
This year's round of inspections is currently under way and the councils have been defending their records. | This year's round of inspections is currently under way and the councils have been defending their records. |
To put the judgements in context, Haringey - much criticised following the death of Baby P - was rated "good". | |
Ofsted's summary report on the 137 services inspected during 2007, out of a total of 150, found "a slightly less positive picture of councils' contribution to all aspects of the staying safe agenda". | Ofsted's summary report on the 137 services inspected during 2007, out of a total of 150, found "a slightly less positive picture of councils' contribution to all aspects of the staying safe agenda". |
The proportion judged outstanding in 2007 (9%) was smaller than in 2006 (16%), and the overall proportion judged to be good or better (70%) was also down (from 73%). | The proportion judged outstanding in 2007 (9%) was smaller than in 2006 (16%), and the overall proportion judged to be good or better (70%) was also down (from 73%). |
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class="bodl" href="#table">Rating for each local authority | |
"There is evidence of strong inter-agency work leading to some improvements, but in too many council areas management systems to monitor performance and the quality of work lack consistency and rigour." | "There is evidence of strong inter-agency work leading to some improvements, but in too many council areas management systems to monitor performance and the quality of work lack consistency and rigour." |
Shortcomings | |
Ofsted's annual performance assessments of children's services take place between September and November each year and are supplemented by less frequent but wider ranging joint area reviews. | |
This year - prior to moving to a new inspection system - it has been using a proportional approach, deciding in advance whether actual visits to the authorities were necessary. | |
The inspectorate's assessment of child protection takes in a range of factors. | The inspectorate's assessment of child protection takes in a range of factors. |
It defines as inadequate those services which "are having limited impact on improving outcomes for children and young people". | It defines as inadequate those services which "are having limited impact on improving outcomes for children and young people". |
This might involve a number of shortcomings:
| This might involve a number of shortcomings:
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The report last November on children's services in Hertfordshire, for example, concluded: "Comprehensive safeguarding plans across the local partnership are in place but key operational processes in the children's social care service to safeguard children are inadequate." | The report last November on children's services in Hertfordshire, for example, concluded: "Comprehensive safeguarding plans across the local partnership are in place but key operational processes in the children's social care service to safeguard children are inadequate." |
Hertfordshire has told BBC News that in this year's inspection it had moved up to the "adequate" category. | Hertfordshire has told BBC News that in this year's inspection it had moved up to the "adequate" category. |
More social workers | More social workers |
The section on keeping children safe highlights among the major strengths, "The rapid pace of improvement in safeguarding children and young people" and the fact that all eight children's homes in the area were "good" or "outstanding". | The section on keeping children safe highlights among the major strengths, "The rapid pace of improvement in safeguarding children and young people" and the fact that all eight children's homes in the area were "good" or "outstanding". |
The assistant director of families and communities for Peterborough City Council, Maureen Phillips, said it had made substantial improvements since last year's Ofsted judgement. | The assistant director of families and communities for Peterborough City Council, Maureen Phillips, said it had made substantial improvements since last year's Ofsted judgement. |
"Essentially, the situation arose due to difficulties in recruiting qualified social workers. However, this is no longer the case as a result of the city council's substantial investment in recruitment and retention of qualified social workers," she said. | "Essentially, the situation arose due to difficulties in recruiting qualified social workers. However, this is no longer the case as a result of the city council's substantial investment in recruitment and retention of qualified social workers," she said. |
"In addition to recruiting to previously vacant posts, an additional 19 front line social work posts have been filled. | "In addition to recruiting to previously vacant posts, an additional 19 front line social work posts have been filled. |
"Improvements in the service have been endorsed in recent Ofsted inspections of the fostering and adoption services and Peterborough City Council is confident that the former judgement in this area no longer applies." | "Improvements in the service have been endorsed in recent Ofsted inspections of the fostering and adoption services and Peterborough City Council is confident that the former judgement in this area no longer applies." |
And Salford City Council's lead member for children's services, Cllr John Warmisham, said: "No-one who works in children's services is in any doubt about the importance of what they do and their responsibilities for our most vulnerable members of society. | And Salford City Council's lead member for children's services, Cllr John Warmisham, said: "No-one who works in children's services is in any doubt about the importance of what they do and their responsibilities for our most vulnerable members of society. |
"Even before the report was published, the city council was taking action to make improvements to its safeguarding service." | "Even before the report was published, the city council was taking action to make improvements to its safeguarding service." |
It was on track to meet the annual performance targets agreed with the Department for Children, Schools and Families. | It was on track to meet the annual performance targets agreed with the Department for Children, Schools and Families. |
The systems operate differently elsewhere in the UK. | The systems operate differently elsewhere in the UK. |
The Social Services Improvement Agency in Wales says new child protection procedures implemented there last April are being watched with interest by English authorities, which are considering ways to promote collaboration between neighbouring safeguarding children boards. | The Social Services Improvement Agency in Wales says new child protection procedures implemented there last April are being watched with interest by English authorities, which are considering ways to promote collaboration between neighbouring safeguarding children boards. |
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The table below show the most recent published inspection findings for England. New reports are due next month. | The table below show the most recent published inspection findings for England. New reports are due next month. |
OFSTED ASSESSMENT: STAYING | OFSTED ASSESSMENT: STAYING SAFEclass="data466">English local authorities' performance |
| Local authority Grade Barking and Dagenham Good Barnet Good Barnsley Good Bath and NE Somerset Good Bedfordshire Good Bexley Good Birmingham Adequate Blackburn with Darwen Good Blackpool Good Bolton Good Bournemouth Good Bracknell Forest Good Bradford Good Brent Good Brighton and Hove Good Bristol Adequate Bromley Adequate Buckinghamshire Adequate Bury Good Calderdale Good Cambridgeshire Adequate Camden Good Cheshire Good Corporation of London Outstanding Cornwall Adequate Coventry Adequate Croydon Good Cumbria Good Darlington Good Derby Good Derbyshire Good Devon Adequate Doncaster Adequate Dorset Adequate Dudley Good Durham Good Ealing Good East Riding of Yorkshire Good East Sussex Good Enfield Good Essex Adequate Gateshead Outstanding Gloucestershire Adequate Greenwich Good Hackney Adequate Halton Outstanding Hammersmith and Fulham Adequate Hampshire Good Haringey Good Harrow Adequate Hartlepool Good Havering Good Herefordshire Adequate Hertfordshire Inadequate Hillingdon Good Hounslow Good Isle of Wight Adequate Isles of Scilly Inadequate Islington Good Kensington and Chelsea Outstanding Kent Good Kingston Upon Hull Good Kingston-Upon-Thames Outstanding Kirklees Good Knowsley Adequate Lambeth Good Lancashire Good Leeds Adequate Leicester City Good Leicestershire Good Lewisham Adequate Lincolnshire Good Liverpool Good Luton Good Manchester Adequate Medway Adequate Merton Good Middlesbrough Good Milton Keynes Adequate Newcastle Upon Tyne Adequate Newham Good Norfolk Good North East Lincolnshire Good North Lincolnshire Good North Somerset Good North Tyneside Good North Yorkshire Good Northamptonshire Good Northumberland Good Nottingham Adequate Nottinghamshire Adequate Oldham Adequate Oxfordshire Adequate Peterborough Inadequate Plymouth Adequate Poole Good Portsmouth Good Reading Good Redbridge Good Redcar and Cleveland Good Richmond-Upon-Thames Outstanding Rochdale Good Rotherham Good Rutland Good Salford Inadequate Sandwell Adequate Sefton Good Sheffield Good Shropshire Outstanding Slough Good Solihull Good Somerset Good South Gloucestershire Good South Tyneside Good Southampton Adequate Southend-On-Sea Adequate Southwark Good St Helens Good Staffordshire Good Stockport Good Stockton on Tees Outstanding Stoke-on-Trent Inadequate Suffolk Good Sunderland Adequate Surrey Adequate Sutton Good Swindon Adequate Tameside Good Telford and Wrekin Good Thurrock Adequate Torbay Adequate Tower Hamlets Outstanding Trafford Good Wakefield Adequate Walsall Good Waltham Forest Good Wandsworth Outstanding Warrington Good Warwickshire Good West Berkshire Good West Sussex Adequate Westminster Good Wigan Adequate Wiltshire Good Windsor and Maidenhead Good Wirral Adequate Wokingham Adequate Wolverhampton Adequate Worcestershire Outstanding York Outstanding Source: Ofsted |
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