Northamptonshire children's services rated 'inadequate' again

The inspectorate found that key progress has been made by a new senior management team put in place in recent months, and since the department last received Ofsted's lowest rating in 2013.

Following a full inspection in 2016, the county's children's services were upgraded to "requires improvement".

However, a "range of significant weaknesses in services whose effectiveness is central to protecting children" was identified as ongoing during the two June 2019 visits.

The report, published today, states: "There are highly vulnerable children in care who are living in unregulated placements that are unsafe and unsuitable.

"This is the result of a long-term failure to identify and match children to appropriate placements when they present with complex and challenging risk.

"A small cohort of care leavers remain vulnerable and homeless, and services have failed to prevent these young people from remaining in unsuitable and unsafe circumstances."

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For vulnerable children who are not in care, a "sizable minority" of those referred to the multi-agency safeguarding hub have their cases closed without a good enough evaluation, leaving them potentially at risk, according to the report.

In addition, most children at risk of child sexual exploitation in the wider service do not have an up-to-date risk assessment informing children's interventions and plans.

The report adds: "This means that risk for these children is not fully understood in order to inform planning and mitigate risk."

The failed county council is undergoing widespread change and has experienced what inspectors described as "significant instability" at senior management level at council and department level.

It has been under pressure to make £70m worth of savings and was subject to a Section 114 notice, banning it from any new spending outside of children's and adult social care.

A rescue mission involves reorganising services into two unitary councils - North Northamptonshire and West Northamptonshire - to be operational by April 2021.

A limited company, called Children's First Northamptonshire, had previously been set up but in August 2018 it emerged that the plans had been shelved.

Then in May of this year, the Department for Education announced that an independent not-for-profit children's trust would be formed and services are expected to be handed over by 2020.

And in June this year, two serious case reviews found that the county's child protection agencies did not collaborate to share safeguarding information on two children prior to their murders.

Director of children's services Sally Hodges said: "We accept the findings of this Ofsted inspection report entirely. 

"We recognise the failings that inspectors have highlighted and equally have a determination to build on the signs of progress they have identified.

"We welcome the report's finding that there has been clear progress and improvements made since the focused visit last October. 

"We are also pleased they recognise that we now have in place the right plans to improve our services. 

"The leadership team is determined to do just that as recognised in the report. Children in Northamptonshire deserve nothing less."