Young people are being heard, praise inspectors
Children and young people are at the forefront of decision-making say Ofsted inspectors, as a "good" rating for Gateshead is today revealed.
His Majesty's Inspectors reviewed Gateshead Council's children's social services last month and have now judged the council to be "good" across all areas.
This comes over five years after the council was last inspected, where it also achieved a "good" rating, with improvements noted across several areas.
In today's report inspectors highlighted the work done to ensure the voices of young people are not only heard, but also influence any decision making which impacts them.
This praise comes less than a week after a motion was passed by all councillors to make being care experienced a protected characteristic, just like disability and race. Young people who had been in care asked the council to do this, making it one of around hundred in the country to do so. No one will now be disadvantaged because of their upbringing, ensuring anyone who has been in care has equity with others and is not penalised or discriminated against because of it.
Inspectors arrived in Gateshead in early December to review how children and young people experience the help, protection and care given to them by the council. They also looked at what council leaders at Gateshead do to make these services better, looking at five key areas:
- The impact of leaders on social work practice with children and families
- The experiences and progress of children who need help and protection
- The experiences and progress of children in care
- The experiences and progress of care leavers
- Overall effectiveness
All five areas were judged to be "good." In the report, inspectors said:
"Since the last inspection, in 2019, children in Gateshead continue to receive good services. Leaders have maintained and, in some areas, improved practice.
"The leadership of the council and the corporate executive in the local authority recognise the needs of children and have prioritised these through the investment of resources, ambition, and commitment. There is strong corporate and political support, with political oversight through scrutiny as a priority. They are well informed, offer challenge and have sustained good service delivery.
"Council leaders ensure that the children and families of Gateshead are at the heart of everything they do."
They added the development and strengthening of the voice of children and levels of consultation to shape services are evident in the corporate parenting board and beyond.
"The board ensures that children are involved in service design and identification of priorities that can make a difference to those for whom its delivery has the biggest impact," inspectors said. "Utilising and developing the role of the care experienced young ambassadors and youth network enables leaders to gain the views of children to inform the corporate parenting board. Young ambassadors feel listened to and feel like they are the 'bridge' between children, young people, and the local authority."
They added senior leaders and staff have worked hard to make sure children in Gateshead receive the help they need, when they need it, and where they need it, and most children's lives have improved as a result. In contrast with many local authorities, Gateshead has a low turnover rate for social workers, which inspectors put down to staff being proud to work for the council.
A stable and ambitious senior leadership team has overseen progress and development of good services for children in most areas," added inspectors.
"There has been clear momentum in the direction of travel to continue to build on strong and consistent practice.
There is a clear focus on creating the right environment, framework and culture for social work to thrive."
According to inspectors, most children and families receive help quickly, and when children need more specialist help, they are supported to receive this from their wider family, community, and skilled workers. They added children who need to come into care, do so at the right time for them.
The work to keep families together was also recognised, with praise for the efforts made by staff to find a family member for children to live with if they cannot live with their parents. This means that children mostly live with people who know them well and importantly understand their identity and history, they said. Children live with their siblings where possible, they added, and if this is not so, social workers make sure they see each other as much as possible.
When children leave care, they continue to receive good help and support for as long as they need it, added inspectors. They live in homes that suit them and if they need help with their emotional well-being, they receive it. They also observed many attends, and benefits from, further education, with leaders praised for the work being done with partner agencies to ensure that older care leavers can also access education, employment, and training opportunities.
Recommendations for further improvement include ensuring all 16- and 17-year-old children who are homeless understand their rights and what help they are entitled to, and that more recognition is needed for some children who are young carers, asking for more to be done to understand what life is like for these children.
Councillor Gary Haley, Gateshead Council's Cabinet member for Children and Young People, said: "It is extremely encouraging that the hard work being done to protect our most vulnerable children and young people here in Gateshead has been recognised in this way. I know a huge amount of work has gone into children's social care, especially over the last few years. Being rated as good by Ofsted is a positive achievement, and this is thanks to the dedication of our staff.
"However, we will not rest on our laurels and already have plans in place around the inspectors' recommendations. It is essential as corporate parents we ensure we are doing all we can to keep our young children not only safe, but also able to live the best possible lives they can here in Gateshead."
The full report can now be found here.
Children and young people are at the forefront of decision-making say Ofsted inspectors, as a "good" rating for Gateshead is today revealed.
His Majesty's Inspectors reviewed Gateshead Council's children's social services last month and have now judged the council to be "good" across all areas.
This comes over five years after the council was last inspected, where it also achieved a "good" rating, with improvements noted across several areas.
In today's report inspectors highlighted the work done to ensure the voices of young people are not only heard, but also influence any decision making which impacts them.
This praise comes less than a week after a motion was passed by all councillors to make being care experienced a protected characteristic, just like disability and race. Young people who had been in care asked the council to do this, making it one of around hundred in the country to do so. No one will now be disadvantaged because of their upbringing, ensuring anyone who has been in care has equity with others and is not penalised or discriminated against because of it.
Inspectors arrived in Gateshead in early December to review how children and young people experience the help, protection and care given to them by the council. They also looked at what council leaders at Gateshead do to make these services better, looking at five key areas:
- The impact of leaders on social work practice with children and families
- The experiences and progress of children who need help and protection
- The experiences and progress of children in care
- The experiences and progress of care leavers
- Overall effectiveness
All five areas were judged to be "good." In the report, inspectors said:
"Since the last inspection, in 2019, children in Gateshead continue to receive good services. Leaders have maintained and, in some areas, improved practice.
"The leadership of the council and the corporate executive in the local authority recognise the needs of children and have prioritised these through the investment of resources, ambition, and commitment. There is strong corporate and political support, with political oversight through scrutiny as a priority. They are well informed, offer challenge and have sustained good service delivery.
"Council leaders ensure that the children and families of Gateshead are at the heart of everything they do."
They added the development and strengthening of the voice of children and levels of consultation to shape services are evident in the corporate parenting board and beyond.
"The board ensures that children are involved in service design and identification of priorities that can make a difference to those for whom its delivery has the biggest impact," inspectors said. "Utilising and developing the role of the care experienced young ambassadors and youth network enables leaders to gain the views of children to inform the corporate parenting board. Young ambassadors feel listened to and feel like they are the 'bridge' between children, young people, and the local authority."
They added senior leaders and staff have worked hard to make sure children in Gateshead receive the help they need, when they need it, and where they need it, and most children's lives have improved as a result. In contrast with many local authorities, Gateshead has a low turnover rate for social workers, which inspectors put down to staff being proud to work for the council.
A stable and ambitious senior leadership team has overseen progress and development of good services for children in most areas," added inspectors.
"There has been clear momentum in the direction of travel to continue to build on strong and consistent practice.
There is a clear focus on creating the right environment, framework and culture for social work to thrive."
According to inspectors, most children and families receive help quickly, and when children need more specialist help, they are supported to receive this from their wider family, community, and skilled workers. They added children who need to come into care, do so at the right time for them.
The work to keep families together was also recognised, with praise for the efforts made by staff to find a family member for children to live with if they cannot live with their parents. This means that children mostly live with people who know them well and importantly understand their identity and history, they said. Children live with their siblings where possible, they added, and if this is not so, social workers make sure they see each other as much as possible.
When children leave care, they continue to receive good help and support for as long as they need it, added inspectors. They live in homes that suit them and if they need help with their emotional well-being, they receive it. They also observed many attends, and benefits from, further education, with leaders praised for the work being done with partner agencies to ensure that older care leavers can also access education, employment, and training opportunities.
Recommendations for further improvement include ensuring all 16- and 17-year-old children who are homeless understand their rights and what help they are entitled to, and that more recognition is needed for some children who are young carers, asking for more to be done to understand what life is like for these children.
Councillor Gary Haley, Gateshead Council's Cabinet member for Children and Young People, said: "It is extremely encouraging that the hard work being done to protect our most vulnerable children and young people here in Gateshead has been recognised in this way. I know a huge amount of work has gone into children's social care, especially over the last few years. Being rated as good by Ofsted is a positive achievement, and this is thanks to the dedication of our staff.
"However, we will not rest on our laurels and already have plans in place around the inspectors' recommendations. It is essential as corporate parents we ensure we are doing all we can to keep our young children not only safe, but also able to live the best possible lives they can here in Gateshead."
The full report can now be found here.
