Surrey’s Children Services are ‘Safe’, Say Ofsted Inspectors

Published on: 29 Mar, 2019
Updated on: 1 Apr, 2019

Cllr Mary Lewis, cabinet member for schools and learning, Surrey County Council. Photo – Surrey County Council.

By Rebecca Curley

local democracy reporter

Inspectors say Surrey County Council’s children’s services are now “safe” and providing “signs and signals” that the inadequate department is improving.

The findings of a recent Ofsted (Office for Standards in Education) monitoring visit – the second it has carried out since the damning rating was issued a year ago – were presented to councillors this week.

During their two-day visit in January, inspectors focussed on looking at how SCC looks after children in the care system.

They reported “continuing weaknesses and inconsistencies” and delays with health assessments and care plans being assessed and reviewed, and that measures to protect vulnerable children at risk of, or experiencing, exploitation were not effective enough.

But they also found the council now has a “more realistic and informed understanding of its performance” and that a “learning culture” was emerging across the county.

And they noted that social workers are “largely highly motivated” about the new service structure. The findings were presented to cabinet members on Tuesday.

Cllr Mary Lewis, lead member for children’s services, said: “First and foremost, importantly they didn’t find any unsafe practice and they said we are running a safe service.”

She said inspectors noted the improvement plan and social work practice standards.

“These are signs and signals that things are improving; things that are happening and things that have been noted by external regulators.”

“These are the first signs. We are still at the beginning of the improvement journey and we don’t want to rush into saying that everything is great. These are the foundation stones which are absolutely crucial but then we need to build on them so that every child gets a really good service.”

Council leader Tim Oliver said he was determined the service would not get another inadequate rating again in the future.

He said: “We are absolutely taking this seriously. Nobody is going to allow us to have a further Ofsted review as we have had in the past.”

Another Ofsted monitoring visit is due in June.

The government-appointed Children’s Commissioner Trevor Doughty published his initial findings in September 2018.

He will return to review progress next month before reporting back to the Department for Education and the Secretary of State in May.