The city’s children’s services had been rated “inadequate” by the inspectorate for a decade before being taken over Birmingham Children’s Trust, a community interest company wholly owned by Birmingham City Council.
Improvement had been noted when Ofsted inspected in 2018, and it was rated as “required improvement to be good”.
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Following inspectors latest visit in February this year, Ofsted has uplifted its rating for children’s services again, to “good”. This is for all aspects of its work, including supporting children in care and care leavers, leadership and protecting children.
“Much progress has been made” by the council and trust over the last five years to improve “the experiences and outcomes of their children”, states Ofsted in its latest inspection report.
Inspectors welcome the effectiveness of services through “thorough child protection assessments and a strong response to safeguarding children at risk of exploitation”.
Partnership work to deliver “strong early help services” is also praised.
“Children are supported at an early stage to remain in their families where possible. When intervention is required to protect children, it is proportionate to risk and need. When children need to come into care, their needs are met well in appropriate placements,” their report adds.
In addition, looked-after children and care leavers “benefit from a strong corporate commitment and ambition to enable them to fulfil their potential in life” says the report, which praises the role of personal advisers in developing “supportive and encouraging relationships with young people”.
“Children in care and care-experienced young people are genuinely listened to and actively engaged in recruitment, staff training and service development,” says Ofsted.
However, inspectors highlighted some areas where further improvement is needed, including cutting delays in securing permanent placements.
Improvement in responding to domestic abuse is also needed as “despite significant trust investment and partnership engagement", this is still “not proportionate to demand in the city”.
Young people would also benefit from the involvement of a personal adviser at an earlier stage to help them prepare better for adulthood, adds Ofsted’s report.
“We know there is more to do, but the improvements are evident,” said Birmingham Children’s Trust chair Andrew Christie.
“We have worked incredibly hard to ensure that partnership working with Birmingham City Council, statutory and non-statutory partners has become one of our strengths, and I am so pleased that Ofsted acknowledge this as a major improvement.”
Karen McCarthy, the council’s cabinet member for children, young people and families. added: “We have a way to go but we are providing better outcomes for all our children, including those in our care, our unaccompanied asylum-seeking children and our care-experienced young people.”
