Ofsted brands council 'inadequate' over CSE failures
Neil Puffett
Thursday, June 4, 2015
Surrey has become the fourth authority in the space of a month to have its children's services rated "inadequate" by Ofsted after inspectors flagged up serious concerns about how it deals with child sexual exploitation (CSE).
Inspectors said leaders within the children’s services department at the authority failed to foresee the impact of a major transformation of children services in March 2014, which led to vulnerable children not being afforded social care support.
“This decision had far-reaching consequences for a significant number of vulnerable children and young people, some of whom were at known or potential risk of child sexual exploitation,” the report states.
Inspectors said young people at risk of CSE who did receive help were not adequately supported or protected because services were “underdeveloped”.
“Strategic managers have not been able to demonstrate sufficient understanding of failures in services to children at risk of child sexual exploitation,” the report states.
“Inspectors identified that in 13 of the 17 cases seen which related to risk associated with child sexual exploitation, children did not benefit from a co-ordinated response, and alerts to risk factors were not being fully identified or responded to effectively.”
Surrey is the fourth authority in as many weeks to have its children’s services given Ofsted’s lowest grading, following Cumbria, Lambeth and West Berkshire last month.
Surrey's inspection report says managers did not routinely or rigorously challenge social work practice.
And senior managers were found not to have sufficient oversight of frontline practice and were not fully aware of the extent of the failings in services for children in need that were identified.
There was also found to be a “lack of clear strategic leadership” when it came to the provision of services for children who go missing from care or home.
Peter Martin, deputy leader of Surrey County Council, said: “Ofsted inspected in October and we were aware there was more we had to do to support young people in need of our help and it is something we have already addressed with an extra £2m investment to recruit more social workers.
“The report says we are looking after children in immediate danger – it was our work to protect other young people with very difficult lives that needed to improve and is now being addressed.”
