Council staff reflect on Ofsted rating turnaround

As the year comes to a close, it is a time for many to reflect on the past 12 months, and that is especially true for Shropshire Council's children's services team.

In a 2023 inspection of the services, Ofsted said it required improvement, commenting that there were "serious and widespread systemic failings", and children were at risk of "inadequate protection and significant harm".

In August this year, Ofsted returned and rated the services outstanding overall - something which staff are immensely proud of.

Jennie Lowe, the authority's principal social worker, said: "It was always going to be a long journey," adding the 2023 report had been "devastating but galvanising".

"We walked out of that room feeling completely broken."

Work began immediately, including intensive support for team managers and social workers, as well as training and development.

Speaking to BBC Radio Shropshire, Ms Lowe said the team also wanted "to put love back into the system".

"If you stay strong and clear on that and stay committed to that as your ethos, you can't go far wrong, and that's what Ofsted saw," she said.

"They saw that we were doing the right work, in the right place to get the best results for children and families - that was our focus, not getting a good report from Ofsted."

The 2025 inspection said purposeful action had been taken to put improvements in place.

It said the changes enabled vulnerable children, care leavers and families to "make and sustain significant change, ultimately improving their lives".

There has been significant change and challenge in the council since the 2023 report, including the news that Shropshire Council is in financial crisis, the absence of a permanent chief executive, and a change of administration after the election in May.

"We've got an interim CEO at the moment, and for us as managers, we really feel like we are able to bring our voice but also the voice of our team," said Jo Kelly, head teacher of Shropshire Virtual School.

"I would say that we feel listened to and heard, so that we can shape things together."

She said that when council leadership was passed over to the Liberal Democrats, they spent a lot of time making sure staff had the information they needed about the work performed by the children's team.

"They could also then be critical and challenge and support us," she said.

Regarding funding, Ms Lowe added: "Everybody is committed to getting the best outcomes for the children and families of Shropshire and doing that in a way that is responsible financially.

"This is public money... and we've always been very mindful of that.

"[We are] making sure that our children and families don't miss out, but that money is spent wisely."

She said she thought that the newest Ofsted report had brought people confidence in what they were doing.

"We're not at the finishing line, this is just the beginning now," she said.

"Not only do we have to maintain that outstanding, but there's always room to grow."

There are 699 children looked after as of 4 September, including 32 unaccompanied asylum seekers through the government scheme in place.

The report rated all areas of the services as outstanding, with the exception of the experiences and progress of care leavers, which was rated good.

Follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.