A government minister has praised the improvement efforts of Trafford Council’s Children’s Services.
It follows a recent inspection by the regulator Ofsted in which the service was rated as no longer ‘inadequate’.
Now Claire Coutinho MP Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Children and Families has confirmed that Trafford will no longer be subject to statutory intervention, and has lifted the Improvement Notice,
In a letter to the Leader of Trafford Council, Cllr Tom Ross, she said: “I was particularly pleased with Ofsted highlighting the change in culture across the service to one which focusses on the child as well as the significant political and corporate support and commitment to improving outcomes for children and young people and the effective multidisciplinary partnerships evident both at the front door and demonstrated through ‘SHINE’ in reducing the risk for children who are hard to engage.
“This marks significant efforts to improve services for children and families in Trafford and is a tribute to the commitment and hard work of all staff, including the direction and dedication of the senior leadership team. I want to congratulate those at all levels in the Council, and its partners, who have contributed to this outcome.
“As a result of the improvement to services, the Improvement Notice issued to Trafford in 2019 will be lifted and the council will no longer be subject to statutory intervention.”
The letter continues: “I recognise the significant challenges in delivering high-quality and effective children’s social care services, especially throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. However, it is imperative that you continue to deliver the best services possible to your most vulnerable.”
Cllr Ross said: “I am delighted with the news that we are formally no longer subject to statutory intervention. This is testament to the amount of hard work from our staff and partners to make sure that children and families in Trafford get the support they need and deserve.”
Cllr Cath Hynes, Deputy Leader and Executive Member for Children’s Services, said: “This news is to be welcomed and I must thank staff for their efforts but we are not complacent. There is more work to be done and Ofsted highlighted areas for improvements and we will continue to strive to do better in these areas.”
The Ofsted inspection took place over a three-week period between November and December 2022, with inspectors finding an overall ‘improvement in the quality of social work in Trafford’ with ‘significant political and corporate support and commitment to the improvement of outcomes for children and young people in Trafford.’
The report praises the council’s strong partnership working, significant investment in children’s services and a culture focused on children and found that ‘social workers in Trafford are overwhelmingly positive about both the local authority and the support they receive.’
Posted on Monday 20th February 2023