Staffordshire rated 'good' in trial of new Ofsted inspection

The council is one of several authorities being used to test out the inspectorate's revised inspection regime ahead of its formal introduction in January 2018.

Ofsted rated Staffordshire good in all areas and found no areas requiring urgent improvement. This is despite an increase in the number of children being looked-after in Staffordshire in the past six months.

When Ofsted last assessed the council's children's services in 2014 it also rated it good in all areas.

"The new form of inspection focuses on what actually happens to those who need our help and support and I'm delighted to say we're making a real difference where it matters," said Mark Sutton, Staffordshire County Council's lead member for children and young people.

"I'm also pleased that Ofsted recognises the quality of the preventative work with families where there are children at risk of coming into the care system - it's better for everyone if we can prevent problems escalating and help children stay with their families."

Sutton said Ofsted identified the council's investment in staff development and the stability of its social work teams as key reasons for its good rating.

"By providing clear management, good training and support, we have a low staff turnover which means we can develop and maintain high standards across the service," he said.

"Most importantly it means children can build up a long-term relationship with one social worker who understands their needs and can help them achieve their ambitions."

Because the inspection is a pilot it is not considered to be an official inspection and so it has not been published on the Ofsted website. Other councils that have undergone trial inspections include the London Borough of Enfield and Nottingham City Council. All three councils have been rated as good.

Ofsted's revised approach will replace the current single inspection framework that was introduced in 2013 and involves inspectors placing more focus on outcomes for children and spending more time with frontline staff than managers.

However, the new approach has already faced criticism from Andrew Webb, director of children's services at Stockport Council, who said the changes fail to address concerns that Ofsted's inspection methodology lacks an evidence base.