Children's Services rated 'outstanding' by Ofsted

Children's services in Rotherham have been rated as "outstanding" for the first time since the council regained control of the department in the wake of a child sex abuse scandal.

Rotherham Council was taken over by government commissioners in 2014 after a report found evidence that "at least" 1,400 children had been sexually exploited between 1997 and 2013, only resuming full responsibility in late 2018.

Following an inspection in November, Ofsted said "progress was evident across all areas of social work practice", rating the council outstanding in four of the five areas.

Council leader Chris Read said the outcome was evidence the department had been "utterly transformed".

"There is nothing more important than keeping our most vulnerable children safe and this report today from Ofsted is recognition of the way in which they do that work," he said.

"It's been ten years since we were found 'inadequate' in our Children's Services, and during that time, they have been utterly transformed.

"I am really proud today to lead a Council which has some of the best Children's Services in the country."

According to the report, children in need of help and protection, and those in care, in Rotherham "now benefit from an outstanding service delivered by a stable, highly skilled workforce".

The four areas where the authority received the highest rating were; the impact of leaders on social work practice with children and families, the experiences and progress of children who need help and protection, the experiences and progress of children in care, and overall effectiveness.

The authority was rated good for the experiences and progress of care leavers.

The report highlighted how any child at risk of going missing from home and being exploited now received a "highly effective service" from the council's specialist exploitation team.

It also said that when concerns about a child escalated "multi-agency child exploitation meetings are convened promptly to share intelligence and coordinate disruption strategies".

Nicola Curley, strategic director of the council's Children and Young People's Services, said: "This outcome demonstrates the consistent quality of practice and the compassion our staff bring to their work.

"It is not the end of the story - we will keep striving for excellence, learning from feedback and lived experience, and ensuring our services continue to improve."

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