Leeds achieves second ‘outstanding’ Ofsted rating in four years

The local authority was handed the inspectorate’s top rating after its previous inspection in 2018.

Following their visit earlier this year they found that “services for children have remained outstanding” and “children benefit from consistently strong and creative social work delivered to an exceptionally high standard”.

In rating the department "outstanding" for overall effectiveness, support for looked-after children and care leavers as well as for its leadership, inspectors were particularly impressed with the “broad and flexible range of early help and interventions” available for families. This is being achieved through strong partnerships with schools and children’s centres, inspectors found.

Inspectors also note that the standard of support for families has been maintained even during the Covid-19 pandemic, which saw an increase in families living in poverty, worsening health and increased numbers of children in need of support.