Council's children's services rated 'good' by Ofsted

Bolton Council's children's services have been upgraded to "good" overall after the visit from the inspectorate which took place in April and May this year. The department overall, as well as its leadership and child protection work, had previously been rated as "requires improvement" after Ofsted's last visit four years ago.

Inspectors said that senior officers and elected politicians at the council now have a clear focus on ensuring support for children is prioritised and given financial backing.

They found that there is a swift response when children are in need of urgent help and the council works well with partners to ensure that thresholds for support are being met.

The inspection team also noted that strategy meetings are well attended by a range of partners and take into account historical factors. Meanwhile, children in long-term foster care and care leavers were found to be well supported by social workers, who build strong bonds with families and ensure children's views are taken into account.

"Senior leaders and elected members have a clear focus on prioritising support, including financial resources, for Bolton's most vulnerable children," states Ofsted's inspection report.

"Social work practice and services have improved since the last inspection and are now good, resulting in positive outcomes for most children.

"Children in need of immediate protection receive a prompt response from social workers that helps to keep them safe. This is enhanced by the support from partners, who understand and apply thresholds well. Social work practice is good, with appropriate support and intervention offered, which is helping to protect children.

"Good support for children who become looked-after means that their experiences have improved as a result."

Inspectors also highlighted good work in Bolton to support a high number of children affected by domestic abuse. A multi-agency domestic abuse team meets daily to share information and discuss cases and social workers work closely with children on ensuring they are safe while they wait for specialist help.

Social workers were also found to be working well with parents to protect children at risk of sexual exploitation. A panel is in place to review high-risk cases, share intelligence, and prevent and disrupt exploitation.

In addition, children who go missing are seen promptly when they return, with detailed interviews and intelligence used for long-term plans to tackle exploitation.

"This is done, for example, by identifying groups of children from specific schools, and providing targeted training and awareness-raising to reduce risk," adds Ofsted's inspection report.

Areas for further improvement highlighted by inspectors include boosting domestic abuse support further by introducing services to address perpetrator behaviour.

Inspectors also want to see improved support for disabled children and their families. They found that planning for the transition in support from children's to adult services did not start soon enough for those with complex needs.

"The views and best interests of the borough's most vulnerable children are the heart of everything we do, and I'm delighted that this has been reflected in Ofsted's judgment," said Ann Cunliffe, the council's lead member for education, schools, safeguarding and looked-after children.

"I'm so proud of the ‘good' rating but also acknowledge that there is still room for improvement. We are aware of the areas which need further work and there are already plans in place to address these."