CYP Now - Ofsted praises ‘accelerated improvements’ in Blackpool’s children’s services

Blackpool Council's children’s services has seen “accelerated improvements” since being rated "inadequate" by Ofsted in 2018, but inspectors have advised more progress is needed to ensure all children receive help and protection.

Ofsted inspectors say more improvement is needed at Blackpool's children's services to ensure all children get the protection they need. Picture: Christopher Baigent/ Adobe Stock

Following an inspection from 5 to 16 December last year, Ofsted said there had been a “steady pace of improvement” in the council's children’s services since its last visit in November 2018.

Ofsted praised Blackpool’s director of children’s services and assistant director for having “taken great care and effort in changing the culture in Blackpool to one of engagement, respect and high support".

Staff were found to feel “safe, valued and listened to,” and understood the high expectations for practice standards.

Inspectors found that since the previous inspection, the services had adopted a “relentless focus on recruitment and retention,” after Blackpool Council invested £4m to recruit more than 100 social workers across the local authority.

Register Now to Continue Reading

Thank you for visiting Children & Young People Now and making use of our archive of more than 60,000 expert features, topics hubs, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:

What's Included