An inspection by Ofsted has given a glowing report of Rutland County Council’s Children’s Services, highlighting that children and young people are receiving effective help and protection when they need it.
Ofsted reviewed Rutland’s Children’s Services in April 2024 to look at children and young people’s experiences of the help, protection and care given to them by workers at the local authority. They also looked at what leaders at the Council do to make these services better.
A full report detailing the findings from this inspection has now been published online and has formally assessed Rutland County Council as being ‘Good’ in each of Ofsted’s five assessment criteria. These services were last inspected in 2020, when they were judged to require improvement. The Council’s new judgement means that more children are now getting better help and support.
This judgement was supported by extensive positive feedback from inspectors, who noted that senior leaders and committed staff have worked hard to ensure children in Rutland receive the help they need.
Council workers are skilled at listening and enjoy their work – helping children to become happier and safer. When children live with adults who do not always keep them safe, workers visit them as often as is needed to make sure that they are safe and well.
Inspectors also noted that social workers in Rutland have good relationships with the children they support and work with them in a variety of creative ways, depending on their needs. Children in Care and Care Leavers benefit from “excellent” life story work that helps them to understand their history.
When children leave care in Rutland, they continue to receive good help and support for as long as they need it. Many of them attend further education and are doing very well, whether at college, university, work or in apprenticeships. Inspectors also praised the Council’s approach to wider engagement with children and young people, identifying that it seeks and respects their views when recruiting new workers.
The report acknowledges there is more work to be done in this important area and that some children have too many changes in social worker. In both cases, senior leaders are already aware and actively working to address these challenges.
“This is undoubtedly a very good report and a credit to the officers who work very hard to deliver our Children’s Services. Making sure that children are safe and cared for is paramount, so we’d always want and expect to see this reflected in an Ofsted report. However, it’s equally pleasing to read some of the more detailed feedback given by inspectors: Our workers are happy and enjoy their roles, which is leading to better outcomes for children and young people. Children are well-supported while in our care and then go on to thrive at the point they reach adulthood. We’re also doing a good job of listening to children, who are directly involved in shaping the services they rely on. All of this is hugely positive, and we will keep working hard to turn ‘Good’ into ‘Outstanding’.”
Councillor Tim Smith, Cabinet Member for Children and Families
The full Ofsted report assessing Rutland County Council’s Children’s Services (April 2024) is now available to read online.
If you are ever concerned about the safety or welfare of a child or young person in Rutland, please contact Rutland County Council straight away by calling: 01572 758 407 or emailing: childrensreferrals@rutland.gov.uk.