Number of councils awarded "excellent" rating for children's services doubles

The number of councils awarded an “excellent” rating for the quality of their children’s services has doubled in 2010, Ofsted has revealed.

Some 20 local authorities received the rating, while 77 were said to be performing well and 37 provided an adequate service.

However, 12 councils – Birmingham, Calderdale, Doncaster, Essex, Kent, Leeds, Nottinghamshire, Peterborough, Salford, Sandwell, Torbay, Worcestershire – were judged as performing poorly overall. The results for six authorities were withheld as further inspections are due to take place.

Ofsted identified a number of typical problems in poor performing authorities:

• inadequacies in the systems for keeping children and young people safe from harm
• schools – particularly secondary schools – not performing well enough
• weak provision generally for those over the age of 16
• weaknesses in performance management systems and difficulties in recruiting and retaining staff
• failure to tackle serious shortcomings in children’s services, particularly safeguarding.

The 2010 assessment was based on a new approach adopted by Ofsted last year. This includes judgements drawing on the outcomes of direct observation of professional practice, with inspection of childcare, schools, child protection services and safeguarding, children’s social care and provision in the learning and skills sector.

Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Christine Gilbert, said: “Once again the majority of councils are providing services for children and young people that are good or better. It is very pleasing to see the increase in the number of local authorities that are providing excellent services overall.  It is particularly welcome that examples of excellence can be found up and down the country and in all types of local authority, from rural areas to metropolitan centres.

“The minority of councils that are performing poorly were put in this category primarily because they are not doing enough to keep children safe. Inadequacies have been identified in their approach to safeguarding children. These authorities know where improvements are needed and have plans in place to improve. There is much they can learn from the examples of those authorities who are performing well and excellently.”