Lewisham’s children's services praised amid impact of Covid pandemic
Joe Lepper
Wednesday, September 1, 2021
Lewisham council has been praised by Ofsted inspectors over support of children in its care despite the “many challenges” the borough has faced during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The council’s senior managers are effectively mitigating the impact of the health crisis on looked-after children in the borough despite the particular severity of the pandemic in the area, Ofsted inspectors found.
The borough has been badly affected by the disease, with 600 deaths in the area, including among council staff, as well as an escalation in the use of food banks and unemployment, Ofsted noted.
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Despite the severity of the pandemic in the area, children in care said they feel valued by their carers and “well supported”.
Leaders at the council have been praised for their “clear focus on hearing the voice of children to develop and improve services”. Inspectors highlighted that children in the local authority's care council continued to meet virtually amid the crisis.
In addition, inspectors found that staff morale is high, and the council is focused on improving stability among children’s services workers.
“Workers report feeling supported by visible and approachable managers and senior leaders through the challenges of the pandemic and the good support they received with home-working arrangements,” said Ofsted in a letter to the council following their visit in July.
The proportion of permanent social workers and managers has increased and staff “talk positively about their manageable caseloads, regular supervision, team meetings and access to a range of training”, inspectors added.
Meanwhile, inspectors found that virtual school leaders “acted swiftly” with schools to support and protect vulnerable pupils. This includes the close monitoring of school attendance, offering additional tuition to pupils and distributing laptops.
Despite the praise inspectors noted areas of improvement including ensuring there is “child friendly language” in plans and letters to children.
Ofsted also wants the council to ensure there is a good range and choice of suitable homes for children, especially as “a small number of children have had to move home too many times”.
Inspectors note the council is looking to boost suitability of homes, including the creation of an assistant director post to oversee commissioning to increase the range of placements.
The council’s children’s services cabinet member Chris Barnham said: “This report is a welcome acknowledgement of the hard work and dedication of our children’s social care team. They have continued to protect our most vulnerable children throughout the challenges of the pandemic. They should be proud of the difference their work is making to the lives of children.
“It’s great that Ofsted recognise the progress we’ve made in recent years. We’re in no doubt that there is still more to be done - we welcome the feedback on further improvements we can make, and action is already in hand to tackle them.”
In June it emerged that Lewisham Council had failed to protect a child in its care after she reported repeated incidents of abuse.