Praise for children's services turnaround

Bosses of a Herefordshire charity which helps vulnerable young people have welcomed improvements in child protection in the county, saying they have seen a "change in culture".

Herefordshire Council was graded good for its children's services, four years after it was placed in special measures and deemed inadequate.

Inspectors also described the service's leadership as outstanding and said they have made "significant progress" in keeping children safe from harm.

Jon Roberts, who runs Vennture, a charity which helps young people, said they have noticed "real change" in the service.

"[I would pass on] congratulations to the whole team at Herefordshire children's services on the positive findings of the Ofsted report," he said.

"We have seen first-hand the change in culture and outcomes and, most importantly, what this means for children, young people and families.

"I recognise the difficulty in facing these challenges and making real change.

"The stability and confidence the new corporate director has brought is evident - we are pleased to be actively partnering with the service."

A Herefordshire Council spokesperson told the BBC they have increased their number of social workers by 28% in the last year, following a big recruitment drive aimed at attracting new staff.

Many aspects were highlighted for praise in the Ofsted report, including the council's response to children in emergency situations out of hours.

Ofsted also said children felt listened to and that the "experiences and progress" of children in care was good, as was their relationships with social workers.

Inspectors said a framework used to measure progress had included "feedback from children and families", following some of the criticisms laid out in the 2022 report.

Mr Roberts said it was key now that the service had a stable workforce and maintained their progress.

"I know they've now brought in a huge number of new, permanent staff, which is really good," he added.

"Having gone through such a long period of time where they've been struggling, and the inspection regime has not been favourable, to be in this position now is really good news.

"We want our children to feel sale, and to feel supported. We work closely with young people and we've seen the differences they have made to the service."

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