Partnership to improve Herefordshire's failing children's services

Herefordshire's children's services team is getting guidance from counterparts in Leeds, following criticism of the way it operates.

Herefordshire Council, whose department was rated "inadequate" by Ofsted in 2022, said it would be a long-term partnership.

Leeds City Council's children's services are rated "outstanding".

Its team has also worked with other local authorities to help improve standards.

In 2021, a High Court judgement found Herefordshire Council had "utterly failed" three foster children, which led to a non-statutory improvement notice from the Department for Education.

Then, in September 2022, the local authority was found by Ofsted to be inadequate and failing to protect children in its care.

Herefordshire Council said the partnership with Leeds City Council was part of its programme of improvement since then.

Sal Tariq, Director of the Leeds Relational Practice Centre, said: "Our initial meetings with children's services in Herefordshire have been really positive - there is a real energy and passion for changing the way children's services work with children and families."

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