The City of London Corporation’s children’s services have been rated ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted in a report praising the ‘significant difference’ they make to young peoples’ lives.
The watchdog had also awarded the services an ‘outstanding’ rating when it last visited in 2020.
In the latest report, His Majesty’s Inspector Christine Kennet wrote since then the senior leadership team has “developed services further and continued to make improvements”.
Chair of the City of London Corporation’s Community and Children’s Services Committee, Common Councillor Helen Fentimen, said the Ofsted report “reflects our unwavering commitment to supporting children and families in the City of London”.
Across the four areas reviewed, Ofsted graded three as ‘outstanding’ and one, on the experiences and progress of children needing help and protection, as ‘good’. Its overall effectiveness was also graded ‘outstanding’.
The inspector praised the ‘strong political and corporate support’ provided to the services’ leadership team as well as its ‘stable, committed and skilled workforce’.
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“Social workers enjoy excellent training in systemic practice, with a strong focus on equity and equality,” the report reads.
“This training, combined with moderate caseloads and regular, reflective supervision, allows impressive social work practice to flourish.”
The inspection found that children entering the care of the City receive an ‘outstanding service that significantly improves their life experiences’.
The majority of these are unaccompanied asylum-seeking children. Ofsted described their introduction to the services as ‘a smooth transition dealt with efficiently by skilled social workers’, with praise for the stability and support offered from then onwards.
The experiences and progress of care leavers, the largest cohort the City supports, is also highlighted.
“Care leavers experience consistent, secure and stable relationships with workers, who talk about them with affection and care, and help them to make progress and achieve their ambitions. Social workers work jointly with young people to develop effective pathway plans that they can understand and that reflect their religious and cultural needs well.”
The third ‘outstanding’ area reviewed was that of the impact of leaders on social work practice with children and families.
While also largely in for praise by the inspector, Ofsted did draw attention to two points of improvement regarding the Corporation’s work with children needing protection, which it rated ‘good’.
These were the impact on children living in circumstances where there is domestic abuse, and the response to children experiencing exploitation and youth violence.
Cllr Fentimen said: “We are immensely proud of this recognition from Ofsted, which reflects our unwavering commitment to supporting children and families in the City of London.
“This outstanding rating is a testament to the dedication and expertise of our social workers, leaders, and community partners.
“We will continue to work tirelessly to ensure every child in our care has the opportunities and support they need to thrive.”
Chris Hayward, Chair of Policy and Resources, said: “An Outstanding Ofsted rating is a tremendous achievement for our children’s services, reflecting the dedication, expertise, and compassion of our entire team.
“We are committed to providing the highest standard of care and support for children and families, and this recognition reaffirms the City of London Corporation’s unwavering dedication to safeguarding and uplifting young lives in our community.
“We will continue building on this success to ensure every child receives the care and guidance they need to flourish.”
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