Summarised outcomes of published JTAI inspection reports by Ofsted, refreshed weekly.
An expanded version of the shown summary sheet, refreshed concurrently, is available to download here as an .xlsx file.
Data summary is based on the original JTAI Outcomes Summary published periodically by the ADCS: https://www.adcs.org.uk/inspection-of-childrens-services/.
Disclaimer: This summary is built from scraped data direct from https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/ published PDF inspection report files.
Nuanced|variable inspection report content, structure and pdf encoding occasionally results in problematic data extraction for a small number of LAs.
Known extraction issues:
Summary data last updated: 16 09 2024 09:24
LA inspections last updated: []
| URN | La Code | Region Code | LTLA23CD | Local Authority | Inspection Start Date | Inspection Theme | Summary Priority Action | Summary Improvement | Summary Key Strengths | Summary Headline Findings | Summary Needs To Improve | Case Study Title | Summary Case Study | Publication Date | Inspection Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 80426 | 370 | YH | E08000016 | barnsley | 18/07/22 | Identification of initial need and risk in barnsley. | Not found or not applicable. | Not found or not applicable. | Not found or not applicable. | Most children in Barnsley receive the right support at the right time to identify risk and meet their needs across the front door services. The recently formed Barnsley Safeguarding Children Partnership (BSCP) demonstrates ambition and commitment to improve outcomes for children and their families. However, it is too early to evidence consistent progress to improve services for all children. | The quality and consistency of all agencies gathering, recording and responding to the expressed wishes and feelings of children with whom they work. The quality of referrals to the multi-agency safeguarding hub (MASH), including the timeliness of those from general practitioners (GPs). The timeliness of the local authority sharing information with partner agencies, including the outcome of referrals and the minutes of child protection strategy meetings. | None | Not found or not applicable. | 18/07/22 | ofsted.gov.uk/50188665 |
| 80428 | 822 | E | E06000055 | bedford | 31/03/23 | Identification of initial need and risk in bedford borough council for children and families who need help. | Not found or not applicable. | Not found or not applicable. | The majority of early help support is provided to children and their families at the right time, and this is making a positive difference for them. Children and their families receive a comprehensive range of targeted services to meet their needs. Services are identified through a range of daily early help allocation meetings, which are effective in sharing information between professionals. | Children and their families benefit from a comprehensive range of universal and targeted early help services in Bedford, and the majority of children have timely early support when they need it. Partner agencies appropriately access targeted early help for families at the right time, and this is making a positive difference for most children. Children have good access to emotional well-being and mental health support, alongside effective interventions from the Adolescent Response Team (ART) and the Bedfordshire Police Education and Diversion Team. | The quality and timeliness of information-sharing between all professionals involved with children and their families need to improve. This includes information-sharing in the IFD when multi-agency safeguarding hub (MASH) checks are requested. 2 The capacity of partner agencies and management oversight in the IFD needs to improve so that all agencies are involved in making appropriately informed decisions about next steps for children. | None | Not found or not applicable. | 31/03/23 | ofsted.gov.uk/50212861 |
| 80430 | 889 | NW | E06000008 | blackburn with darwen | 14/07/23 | Identification of initial need and risk in blackburn with darwen. | Not found or not applicable. | Not found or not applicable. | to create an environment where childrens 2 voices are consistently central to safeguarding decisions, both strategically and operationally. Leaders are outward looking and welcome external scrutiny. They fully accept the findings of the inspection. | Committed leaders across Blackburn with Darwen (BwD) safeguarding partnership fully support the Pan-Lancashire Childrens Safeguarding Assurance Partnership (CSAP) decision to reconfigure its strategic safeguarding arrangements. They rightly recognise that the current CSAP arrangements do not provide sufficient assurance at a granular level. They are moving to devolved local place-based boards across the three local authority areas of Lancashire, Blackpool and BwD by September 2023. | Shared and consistent multi-agency processes and records of referrals when professionals identify children in need or at risk of harm. The quality and consistency with which the voices of children and their lived experiences are recorded in referrals, assessments, plans and multi-agency reviews. Formal multi-agency triage processes, or meetings to consider referrals that do not meet child protection thresholds in the childrens advisory duty service (CADS). | None | Not found or not applicable. | 14/07/23 | ofsted.gov.uk/50223270 |
| 80436 | 867 | SE | E06000036 | bracknell forest | 08/03/19 | Sexual abuse in the family in bracknell forest between 21 and 25 january 2019. | There are no areas for priority action Areas for improvement Despite the committed and skilled leadership and the considerable strengths found in most single agencies in Bracknell Forest, these strengths are not yet maximised to best effect in multi-agency practice. Multi-agency systems and processes are not always efficient when identifying risks. This places a disproportionate pressure on the local authority to undertake more work. | Despite the committed and skilled leadership and the considerable strengths found in most single agencies in Bracknell Forest, these strengths are not yet maximised to best effect in multi-agency practice. Multi-agency systems and processes are not always efficient when identifying risks. This places a disproportionate pressure on the local authority to undertake more work. | Multi-agency strengths Senior leaders and managers in Bracknell Forest have positive and productive working relationships. There is a shared ambition to ensure that high-quality services are available for children, as well as a determination to continuously improve services, systems and processes. Some partners face challenges in fulfilling their role in Bracknell Forest as a result of their wider responsibilities in the region. | Not found or not applicable. | Not found or not applicable. | None | Not found or not applicable. | 08/03/19 | ofsted.gov.uk/50061226 |
| 80441 | 801 | SW | E06000023 | bristol | 01/12/17 | Abuse and neglect in bristol city council between 16 and 20 october 2017. | Not found or not applicable. | Strategy discussions are taking place, but there are examples of significant delay in children being seen when a joint visit involving childrens social care and the police is required. Action was taken to address this during the inspection. Strategy discussions do not always include professionals involved with the child other than childrens social care, police and community paediatricians. | The multi-agency partnership has a strong commitment to the protection of children in Bristol. There is a developing culture of learning, demonstrated throughout the inspection by partners looking for opportunities to improve. During the inspection, the partnership put learning into practice by making immediate improvements where possible. | Not found or not applicable. | Not found or not applicable. | Case study: highly effective practice | This case study reflects strong partnership working and effective intervention to tackle neglect and promote positive outcomes for an older child living with neglect. Good assessment with clear analysis, well-focused planning and proactive intervention has prevented drift and delay in the case of Mark. This means that for Mark, the impact of previous neglect is being reduced and his welfare has improved. | 01/12/17 | ofsted.gov.uk/50000231 |
| 80442 | 825 | SE | E10000002 | buckinghamshire | 14/03/24 | Identification of initial need and risk in buckinghamshire. | Not found or not applicable. | Not found or not applicable. | The effectiveness and quality of support offered by CAMHS. The support given to children by their schools and the mental health triage car when struggling with their emotional and mental health. The improved timeliness of referrals from TVP, including the measures taken to reduce a significant backlog. | All three statutory partners in BSCP have seen significant change over the last two years. Consequently, the relationships between partners have taken time to establish. This is in the context of increased demand, organisational change within the integrated care board, and the need to improve the initial response to children highlighted in both local authority and police inspections. | The consolidation of performance information and data to fully understand the most pressing issues for families. The effectiveness of sub-groups of the safeguarding partnership. Multi-agency training informed by a full strategic need analysis. | None | Not found or not applicable. | 14/03/24 | ofsted.gov.uk/50241559 |
| 80446 | 823 | E | E06000056 | central bedfordshire | 10/05/16 | Abuse and neglect in central bedfordshire between 14 and 18 march 2016. | Not found or not applicable. | Responses to children missing and at risk of child sexual exploitation While there is considerable evidence of effective joint work with individual young people subject to sexual exploitation, broader operational activity to robustly and persistently deter, target and pursue perpetrators requires strengthening. Plans to improve prevention of exploitation through targeting places where abuse might occur (such as hotels and licensed premises) are yet to be consistently developed and delivered. In one case, this led to a young person being appropriately placed in secure accommodation for their own protection, but not enough action was taken to deter those who posed a risk to the young person. | Current arrangements within the single access referral hub are strong. Thresholds for intervention are generally understood and applied well by almost all agencies. A clear strategic focus on and understanding of the benefits of preventative work results in a good partnership commitment to providing early help to children and families. | Not found or not applicable. | Not found or not applicable. | Case study: highly effective practice | The co-location of Early Help services, the Missing, Homeless and Child Sexual Exploitation teams is a significant strength, resulting in effective information-sharing and joint work. The quality of return home interviews with children and young people is good. Some children and young people are reluctant to engage, but workers understand the importance of this work and are persistent even if this takes time. | 10/05/16 | ofsted.gov.uk/50000216 |
| 80447 | 895 | NW | E06000049 | cheshire east | 26/09/22 | The criminal exploitation of children in cheshire east. | Not found or not applicable. | Not found or not applicable. | Partners were receptive to the feedback from this inspection and are motivated to make the necessary changes to drive the much-needed development and reform. Emerging evidence of targeted disruption work in the community by youth justice staff, youth workers and police officers. A recent initiative by police and health partners has sought to raise awareness in the community about signs and indicators of exploitation. | Until this inspection, strategic multi-agency partners did not understand the extent and impact of the failure to protect children and drive forward plans for those who are at risk of, or are victims of, criminal and sexual exploitation. Notwithstanding the tangible commitment and ambition of all partners to improving services, there is insufficient senior leadership analysis of the underlying complexities or understanding of the day-to-day experiences of these vulnerable children. These are serious and fundamental weaknesses, leaving some children in situations of unassessed risk and harm. | The consistent recording and analysis of childrens voices across all agencies records. Children missing from home and at risk of exploitation are quickly and consistently identified by the multi-agency integrated front door. The quality and effectiveness of multi-agency strategy meetings across teams and services for children at risk of exploitation. | None | Not found or not applicable. | 26/09/22 | ofsted.gov.uk/50194535 |
| 80448 | 896 | NW | E06000050 | cheshire west and chester | 10/11/17 | Abuse and neglect in cheshire west and chester between 25 and 29 september 2017. | Not found or not applicable. | Identifying and managing risk of harm at the front door There are a number of ways in which responses to children experiencing neglect can be further developed and improved to ensure a consistently timely and appropriate response from all professionals in CWAC. For example, in a small number of cases where there were concerns about neglect, frontline police officers did not complete vulnerable persons assessments (VPAs) so that information was not then passed to childrens social care. In these cases, increasing incidents of concern eventually resulted in a referral by the police to childrens social care, but the opportunity for a timely referral and earlier intervention had been lost. | There is clear drive at a strategic level in Cheshire West and Chester to embed a shared approach across partners to tackle neglect. This is resulting in effective practice at the frontline of many services to identify and support children suffering neglect. Strong partnership working and mature relationships, where there is challenge between agencies and from the LSCB chair, are driving improvement and leading to effective multi-agency working in many cases seen during this inspection. | Not found or not applicable. | Not found or not applicable. | Case study: highly effective practice | Jamie was referred to the Youth Justice Service (YJS) following an offence of actual bodily harm (ABH). The key worker in the YJS immediately checked with childrens social care to see whether he was known to them. She identified a history of neglect, and spoke with the allocated social worker prior to meeting with Jamie. | 10/11/17 | ofsted.gov.uk/50000233 |
| 80449 | 380 | YH | E08000032 | bradford | 21/04/17 | Abuse and neglect in bradford metropolitan district council between 27 february and 3 march 2017. | Not found or not applicable. | Identifying and managing risk of harm at the front door There has been no dedicated health professional in the MASH for the past 12 months. While arrangements to access information from health visitors, school nurses and the emergency departments at Airedale General Hospital and Bradford Royal Infirmary work well, information gathering from adult mental health, CAMHS and adult substance misuse is less well secured. Health participation in strategy discussions is inconsistent and may not always ensure that relevant information is shared and used to identify needs and analyse risk or assure compliance with Working Together 2015. | Leaders and partners have high aspirations for all children in Bradford. Across partners, there is commitment to continuous improvement to offer a wide range of high quality services to meet the diverse needs of children and families in the Bradford district. The determination of the partnership to tackle domestic abuse is evident in the level of resources that are committed to this end. | Not found or not applicable. | Not found or not applicable. | Case study: highly effective practice | There is a range of positive activities being undertaken by the police in Bradford as a single agency, together with partners, to support victims and also work with perpetrators. Examples include: There is direct engagement with specific diverse communities or groups by the police to improve domestic abuse reporting, including seldom-heard groups. Examples include the local domestic abuse partnership inspector hosting a meeting in January with dedicated LGBT support workers from Bradford Womens Aid and Staying Put, as well as a transgender support service in Bradford, discussing ways to improve the support services for LGBT victims, and raising awareness amongst frontline workers who deal with abuse in LGBT households. | 21/04/17 | ofsted.gov.uk/50000223 |
| 80453 | 816 | YH | E06000014 | york | 09/11/18 | Sexual abuse in the family in york between 24 and 28 september 2018. | Not found or not applicable. | When children are the subject of a referral because they may be children in need or at risk of significant harm, this process works well for most children who receive a timely service that is well matched to their needs. During this inspection, inspectors did not find any child at immediate risk of significant harm where this has not been recognised and appropriate action taken. However, services at this early point of involvement with children are not well joined up and any action taken can be sequential, causing cumulative delay in response. | A strong, shared commitment to working in a child-focused way and listening to the voices of children and young people characterises the work of agencies in York. Driven by the influential LSCB, this approach is seen at both a strategic level and in work with individual children and their families. For example, in a recent child sexual abuse investigation involving a number of children, the police showed a child-centred and nuanced approach. | Not found or not applicable. | Not found or not applicable. | None | Not found or not applicable. | 09/11/18 | ofsted.gov.uk/50037488 |
| 80454 | 908 | SW | E06000052 | cornwall | 23/11/18 | Sexual abuse in the family in cornwall between 8 october 2018 and 12 october 2018. | There are no areas for priority action Areas for improvement Within the MARU, strategy discussions are mostly timely, but they do not Practice study: highly effective practice All names are pseudonyms. A significant strength is the quality of the support given to children who have been subject to child sexual abuse in the family environment, and their families. The range and quality of services available, and clear focus on working with the whole family, support a reduction in the risk of child sexual abuse and make a tangible difference to childrens lives. | Within the MARU, strategy discussions are mostly timely, but they do not Practice study: highly effective practice All names are pseudonyms. A significant strength is the quality of the support given to children who have been subject to child sexual abuse in the family environment, and their families. The range and quality of services available, and clear focus on working with the whole family, support a reduction in the risk of child sexual abuse and make a tangible difference to childrens lives. | Work in Cornwall to tackle child sexual abuse in the family environment is underpinned by strong and inclusive strategic leadership, modelled by the director of childrens services and his leadership team. There are established links between strategic boards, particularly the OSCP and the overarching childrens One Vision Partnership. Their priorities to develop and improve practice and services for children who suffer or who are at risk of child sexual abuse are evident in core business. | Not found or not applicable. | Not found or not applicable. | None | Not found or not applicable. | 23/11/18 | ofsted.gov.uk/50040004 |
| 80456 | 331 | WM | E08000026 | coventry | 17/05/24 | Serious youth violence in coventry. | Not found or not applicable. | Not found or not applicable. | A well-considered and tailored approach is taken to ensure that the right resources and personnel are matched to the needs of each child to build a trusting relationship. Agencies work effectively together, within Coventry and beyond the areas boundaries. The no borders approach adopted by partners benefits children who move between areas to reduce risk for children and their families. | Children at risk of criminal exploitation and serious youth violence are safer as a result of the effective partnership work undertaken by both statutory services and the third sector to reduce risks in places and spaces as well as for individual young people in Coventry. Mature partnership arrangements are in place. Since 2019, partners in Coventry have continued to focus on serious youth violence and exploitation. | The emergency duty team provides a minimal safeguarding response to incidents of serious youth violence, meaning that strategy meetings are not held at the earliest opportunity and plans are made to provide immediate protection for younger children in the family without a social worker seeing the child or family to assess. Children wait too long to receive mental health assessments from the child and adolescent mental health services crisis teams, and children who become looked after wait too long for their initial health assessment. Some professionals are not sufficiently curious and accept childrens explanations at face value, which results in risks to children and young people not being wholly understood. | None | Not found or not applicable. | 17/05/24 | ofsted.gov.uk/50247377 |
| 80459 | 831 | EM | E06000015 | derby | 08/05/19 | Abuse and neglect in derby city between 18 and 22 march 2019. | Not found or not applicable. | The quality of referrals to childrens social care across the partnership is too variable. Not all partners are using the safeguarding referral form, and the variable quality of information shared hinders the first contact team in identifying risk and making fully informed decisions. Most police referrals do not include appropriate research of police information prior to being forwarded to social care, which means that the screening decision is based on a small proportion of available police information. | Effective relationships in the MASH between childrens social care, health and police agencies ensure a joint analysis of risk and constructive challenge from partner agencies about thresholds of intervention. Timely, well-informed strategy discussions result in swift decision-making for children who require immediate protection, including outside office hours. Increasingly, education partners are engaged in this initial analysis of childrens needs and provide valuable insight into childrens experiences. | Not found or not applicable. | Not found or not applicable. | None | Not found or not applicable. | 08/05/19 | ofsted.gov.uk/50074944 |
| 80465 | 840 | NE | E06000047 | durham | 24/08/18 | Domestic abuse in durham between 9 and 13 july 2018. | This is a multi-agency area for priority action. Strategy meetings are not always being held where the threshold is met due to the lack of effective risk-assessment by all agencies and the lack of understanding of thresholds. Where the threshold is recognised, there is significant variation in terms of timeliness and attendance. | When professionals make decisions on thresholds, childrens history and cumulative risk are not fully considered. A number of children have a history of a significant number of re-referrals and numerous assessments because of a repeated pattern of abuse. There is often an over-optimism of all agencies in relation to the assessment of the future risk of domestic abuse, and this includes a lack of professional challenge as well as a lack of awareness of disguised compliance from parents. | Strong commitment to a multi-agency approach at a strategic level can be seen through the investment from agencies into the multi-agency safeguarding hub (MASH) and a commitment to commissioning a range of services for adult and child victims and perpetrators of domestic abuse. Awareness-raising of domestic abuse by the partners is embedded and visible and leads to increased confidence in victims reporting domestic abuse. Commitment to protecting victims and their children is also seen through Clares law2 being well used to protect potential victims of domestic abuse. | Not found or not applicable. | Not found or not applicable. | None | Not found or not applicable. | 24/08/18 | ofsted.gov.uk/50015171 |
| 80467 | 845 | SE | E10000011 | east sussex | 14/04/20 | Abuse and neglect in east sussex. | Not found or not applicable. | For some children, there are difficulties establishing the right pathway when their emotional well-being needs are first assessed or when there is a need to respond quickly to deteriorating mental health. Where emotional well-being or mental ill health are the presenting issue, professionals do not always consider the wider needs of children and young people. In a very small number of cases, there is delay for children while professionals agree which service is most appropriate to assess and address the childrens emotional and mental health needs. | Professionals make timely and sufficiently detailed referrals about the safety, emotional well-being or mental health of a child or young person through the recently established SPOA triage service. This reduces the number of referrals a child or young person experiences and ensures better access to services to meet their needs. Children are appropriately signposted to other services, including targeted emotional well-being support, if they do not meet the threshold for specialist CAMHS intervention. | Not found or not applicable. | Not found or not applicable. | Case study: highly effective practice | Children benefit from well-coordinated multi-agency working that is informed by high-quality assessments of needs completed and shared across relevant agencies in East Sussex. For one child, an exemplary quality health assessment resulted in prompt action to address undiagnosed and emerging emotional well-being and mental ill health needs. The contribution from a consultant paediatrician ensured a good understanding of the difficulties linked to the childs attention and hyperactivity disorder. | 14/04/20 | ofsted.gov.uk/50150001 |
| 80470 | 916 | SW | E10000013 | gloucestershire | 03/08/23 | Identification of initial need and risk in gloucestershire. | Not found or not applicable. | Not found or not applicable. | The independent scrutiny arrangements in Gloucestershire provide effective challenge and accountability to the GSCP. A daily multi-agency vulnerability meeting held in the front door promotes effective partnership working. Information on the current impact of risks to children is appropriately shared and next steps identified. | Most children living in Gloucestershire who are initially identified to be in need of help and protection receive a swift and appropriate multi-agency response from the front door. Senior leaders strategic partnership is strong, and this mature relationship is supported by effective governance in the Gloucestershire Safeguarding Childrens Partnership (GSCP). Senior leaders on the executive board have appropriate oversight and knowledge of the effectiveness of multi-agency safeguarding arrangements. | The consideration of childrens wishes and feelings as initial need and risks are identified, so that childrens voices are used to help inform decisions across all partner agencies. The efficiency of partner recording systems to better support multi-agency information-sharing about childrens needs. The consistent application and timeliness of Operation Encompass notifications to schools when children have experienced domestic abuse in the family home. | None | Not found or not applicable. | 03/08/23 | ofsted.gov.uk/50225172 |
| 80471 | 876 | NW | E06000006 | halton | 23/08/19 | Child exploitation in halton between 8 and 12 july 2019. | Not found or not applicable. | Assessment of risk and threshold for intervention are not consistently applied. Children receive a prompt service when needs are identified, although, for some children, this has been through the provision of early help services. Where risks identify potential significant harm, this has not always resulted in multi-agency child protection strategy discussions. | Early help is a strength in Halton. When children do not require a statutory service, they are signposted to and provided with an effective response from a range of early help services. Regular working together meetings involving a range of partners ensure that intervention is at the right level for the childs needs. | Not found or not applicable. | Not found or not applicable. | Case study: highly effective practice | A very sad incident occurred in Halton approximately one year ago involving knife crime. One young person lost their life and two young people received lengthy custodial sentences as a result of their actions. The prompt response of the partnership in Halton demonstrates their commitment to reducing risks and improving safety for children in Halton. | 23/08/19 | ofsted.gov.uk/50103039 |
| 80472 | 850 | SE | E10000014 | hampshire | 09/12/16 | Abuse and neglect in hampshire between 5 and 9 december 2016. | Not found or not applicable. | Partners need to ensure that there is greater consistency of frontline practice. Multi-agency strategy discussions take place in a timely way and are routinely attended by the three key partners of childrens social care, police and health. Decision-making in respect of single or joint agency investigations is clear. | Senior leaders in Hampshire ensure that there is good planning and long-term foresight to promote the protection of children living with domestic abuse. There is clarity in commissioning arrangements that have streamlined domestic abuse services effectively into two key providers supported by smaller localised grant- supported projects and individual agency work. The range of services are very 4 impressive. | Not found or not applicable. | Not found or not applicable. | Case study: highly effective practice | The dedicated domestic abuse specialist role in the FIT is an impressive and creative service, generating its own evidence of effectiveness and impact, and supported through external evaluation. It challenges misconceptions about domestic abuse, provides high-quality and sensitive direct services to families and works to dispel myths among the professional community. As part of the Department for Education Innovation Fund, a 12-month pilot started in September 2015, and on the success that is evident to date, it will now be extended more widely. | 01/02/17 | ofsted.gov.uk/50000224 |
| 80478 | 382 | YH | E08000034 | kirklees | 18/08/22 | The criminal exploitation of children in kirklees. | Not found or not applicable. | Not found or not applicable. | Not found or not applicable. | Partners at a strategic level enable a well-embedded practice approach that supports professionals to work well together. Children in Kirklees who are at risk of, or experiencing, criminal exploitation have their needs identified quickly and receive multi-agency support to manage and reduce risk to them effectively. What needs to improve The recording of the work and decision-making of the Kirklees Safeguarding Children Partnership (KSCP). | The recording of the work and decision-making of the Kirklees Safeguarding Children Partnership (KSCP). The training offer from the KSCP to ensure that it provides relevant, localised multi-agency training focusing on child criminal exploitation. The exercise of professional curiosity from some health practitioners, including GPs and emergency department staff. | None | Not found or not applicable. | 18/08/22 | ofsted.gov.uk/50190981 |
| 80480 | 888 | NW | E10000017 | lancashire | 16/05/24 | Serious youth violence in lancashire. | Not found or not applicable. | Not found or not applicable. | The positive impact of the partnerships public health and trauma-informed response to children affected by serious youth violence. The scale and reach of place-based interventions, which are highly effective in educating and diverting children away from risk within the community. The strength and maturity of partner relationships at both a strategic and operational level. | Leaders from across the local area partnership of agencies have a shared commitment to addressing the causes and impact of serious youth violence and the criminal exploitation of children. Underpinned by a helpful single strategy, leaders across the partnership have developed a unified public health and trauma-informed approach to addressing serious youth violence and criminal exploitation. There is clear understanding of the causes of serious youth violence and the work to tackle it is extremely well supported by the Lancashire Violence Reduction Network (LVRN). | How consistently staff in partner agencies understand and apply the thresholds for holding child protection strategy meetings and conducting child protection enquiries. This includes increasing awareness of formal escalation processes The quality and impact of practice across partner agencies for children at the highest level of risk. How quickly the partnership is acting to shape and target services in the light of the increase in numbers of children from British Asian backgrounds at risk from serious youth violence and criminal exploitation. | None | Not found or not applicable. | 16/05/24 | ofsted.gov.uk/50246983 |
| 80481 | 383 | YH | E08000035 | leeds | 16/05/24 | Serious youth violence in leeds. | Not found or not applicable. | Not found or not applicable. | Strong multi-agency relationships with a shared vision and culture, both strategically and operationally, resulting in effective communication and effective partnership working. Collation and analysis of data across the partnership has informed a detailed strategic needs assessment and action plan. Targeted multi-agency interventions and projects across the city are helping to divert children away from youth violence and support children affected by criminal exploitation. | Most children in Leeds who are affected by serious youth violence and/or criminal exploitation benefit from an effective and well-coordinated multi-agency response. Strategic partnerships in Leeds are well embedded and mature. Strategic leaders across all agencies are invested in the partnership and in reducing the risks to children to make Leeds a safer city. | Consistent and timely sharing of police protection notifications (PPNs) when police officers identify risks to children. The quality of PPNs should include detailed information, including a childs ethnicity and culture, to assist with multi- agency decision-making. Waiting times for children to receive CAMHS assessments and therapeutic treatment in line with needs arising from their mental health conditions and neurodiversity. | None | Not found or not applicable. | 16/05/24 | ofsted.gov.uk/50246977 |
| 80484 | 925 | EM | E10000019 | lincolnshire | 02/12/16 | Abuse and neglect in lincolnshire between 17 and 21 october 2016. | Not found or not applicable. | Although there is clear evidence of strategic leadership and direction, this has not yet been translated into consistent improvements in operational delivery across all services and there remain a number of significant areas for improvement in some services. The police in the Central Referral Unit (CRU) are not risk assessing and progressing all incidents of domestic abuse in a timely way. All high risk cases are referred immediately to childrens social care with a copy of the DASH assessment completed by the police. | The local partnership has a clear and collective determination and drive to engage agencies in delivering a coherent approach to tackle domestic abuse. Strategic action plans are well considered and comprehensive, and are underpinned by a strong shared vision and ambition to reduce incidents of domestic abuse and prevent their reoccurrence. Senior leaders across the range of Adult and Childrens Safeguarding Boards, the Public Protection Board and the Community Safety Partnership have a detailed understanding of the prevalence of domestic abuse and the impact on children in their area. | Not found or not applicable. | Not found or not applicable. | Case study: highly effective practice | The importance of direct work to support children who have experienced domestic abuse is well understood in Lincolnshire. Social workers and early help workers are skilled in the use of the Signs of Safety approach and are effective in utilising age-appropriate tools in their direct work with children in order to understand their wishes and feelings. This means that they are better able to understand the range of risks that children face and the impact that domestic abuse is having on them. | 05/12/16 | ofsted.gov.uk/50000226 |
| 80485 | 341 | NW | E08000012 | liverpool | 02/08/16 | Abuse and neglect in liverpool between 20 and 24 june. | s Leadership Ineffective management oversight means that statutory child protection enquiries are not consistently undertaken by childrens services or jointly investigated by the police. The Careline (front door) contact team refers children at risk of significant harm promptly to the co-located police and social work joint investigation team (JIT). However, these cases are not considered for joint investigations at the point of referral. | Leadership and management There are delays in the MASH process as a result of the high volume of referrals. There is no triage process in place, except for domestic abuse referrals. This leads to delays in children accessing services. | There is a strategic commitment and clear ambition to improving services for children across the partnership. This is evidenced well in overarching joint strategic priorities and plans. Members work well together cross-party to prioritise childrens services. | Not found or not applicable. | Not found or not applicable. | Case study: area for priority action | Arrangements to manage child protection referrals from Careline to the multi-agency safeguarding hub (MASH) and the JIT are fragmented. Information sharing is ineffective in high-risk cases, with partners not always represented at strategy discussions, leading to an incomplete picture of childrens lived experiences or the risks they might be exposed to. Cases involving children at higher levels of risk are passed promptly to the JIT, but without the benefit of input from the MASH. | 03/08/16 | ofsted.gov.uk/50000222 |
| 80488 | 303 | GL | E09000004 | bexley | 06/03/20 | Childrens mental health in bexley between 20 and 24 january 2020. | Not found or not applicable. | Response to concerns about children who go missing, or who are at risk of sexual exploitation and criminal exploitation, is not yet consistently strong for all children. Multi-agency activity to track and cross-reference children at a number of panels could lead to inconsistent responses and too much duplication. This could inhibit the formulation and agreement of a single multi-agency plan that identifies all of the needs for each child and how these will be met and reviewed. | Senior leadership across the partnership is stable and effective. Priorities are shared and partners attendance and commitment to key strategic boards provide a robust multi-agency view of childrens mental health and of how this can be better met. Leadership across health commissioners and providers is strong. | Not found or not applicable. | Not found or not applicable. | Case study: highly effective practice | When all agencies work together in a coordinated, consistent and purposeful way, positive outcomes are possible, as inspectors saw for one young person. A careful well-coordinated approach means that this young person is currently in a safe and secure environment, is beginning to address their mental health needs and is starting to flourish. She is attending classes, showing a real interest in her education and is integrating well with friends. | 06/03/20 | ofsted.gov.uk/50148145 |
| 80492 | 306 | GL | E09000008 | croydon | 29/06/16 | Abuse and neglect in the london borough of croydon between 16 may and 20 may. | Not found or not applicable. | Identifying and managing risk of harm at the front door The Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) is experiencing high and increasing levels of demand. In addition to the MASH, a specialist duty service has been developed to meet the needs of the high numbers of Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children in Croydon. Contacts from across the partnership to the MASH are currently around 1,200 each month, and systems and capacity issues in the MASH mean that not all contacts receive a timely response. | In meeting the level of current demand, there is a clear commitment from the council and senior leaders across all partners to work together to support some of the most vulnerable children in the community. For example, the leader of the council, the local strategic partnership and the Local Childrens Safeguarding Board (LSCB) have prioritised child sexual exploitation through a programme of work to increase awareness across the local area and build capacity, to respond to and prevent child sexual exploitation. There is wide representation, including from the voluntary sector, on the LSCB, both at board level and across the sub-groups. | Not found or not applicable. | Not found or not applicable. | Case study: highly effective practice | The local authority has effective joint screening arrangements in place with the Home Office, which ensure that initial needs and risks for Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children (UASC) who present in Croydon are identified immediately. Well-developed commissioning processes locate and access foster placements promptly, meaning that there are no unnecessary delays for this vulnerable group of young people. A duty social worker is based at the Home Office which supports the joint approach for UASC. | 29/06/16 | ofsted.gov.uk/50000217 |
| 80495 | 203 | GL | E09000011 | greenwich | 09/05/18 | Child sexual exploitation, children associated with gangs and at risk of exploitation and children missing from home, care or education between 12 and 16 february 2018. | Not found or not applicable. | The understanding and response to risk is variable across all of the agencies, and for some children not sufficiently explored or known because information sharing is not robust enough. This means that decisions are sometimes made without the benefit of all available information. On occasion, it has taken too long for information to be gathered from all agencies when it is already known that a child is involved with, for example, county lines activity. | Inspectors identified many features of effective leadership in Greenwich. When children are at risk of exploitation or are missing from home and school, there are effective multi-agency arrangements to identify and support them. There are good links between the Greenwich Safeguarding Childrens Board (GSCB), the Health and Wellbeing Board, the Childrens Services Strategic Partnership, the Violence and Organised Crime Unit (VOCU), the Safer Communities Team and other boards. | Not found or not applicable. | Not found or not applicable. | Case study: highly effective practice | The local area pays good attention to commissioning and delivering services that connect with what young people want, reflect the daily challenges they face and professionals actively work together to promote their engagement. The Point offers a welcoming space for children and young people to share their concerns and helps reduce risks to their safety and well-being. Children and young people are able to access a range of youth, care and health services under one roof during one visit. | 09/05/18 | ofsted.gov.uk/50004431 |
| 80498 | 309 | GL | E09000014 | haringey | 30/01/18 | Abuse and neglect in haringey between 4 and 8 december 2017. | Not found or not applicable. | Practice at the front door is not sufficiently robust. Pathways are not clear. In some cases, there are duplication and delay in MASH checks being undertaken when it is clear that an assessment is required. | There is multi-agency representation in the MASH to ensure that information is shared effectively. The appointment of a full-time health representative in the MASH, with support from safeguarding advisers at times of absence, is a positive development. This ensures that there is some continuity of health oversight for referrals, and, when the referral is notified to the health representative, information can be obtained and records updated accordingly. | Not found or not applicable. | Not found or not applicable. | Case study: highly effective practice | Liam is a 12-year-old child who has experienced significant neglect throughout his childhood, which has had a detrimental impact on his emotional and psychological development and his relationship with his mother. Liams presenting behaviours have impacted on his ability to engage with education. Through strong, committed and tenacious multi- agency working across the partnership, Liam has been supported to engage with CAMHS, the school nursing service and, with the provision of suitable education, has made a successful return to mainstream schooling. | 30/01/18 | ofsted.gov.uk/50024897 |
| 80499 | 310 | GL | E09000015 | harrow | 24/05/23 | Children and families who need help in harrow. | Not found or not applicable. | Not found or not applicable. | In Harrow, children and their families have access to, and use, a broad and varied range of early help services from birth to adulthood to improve their lived experiences. Schools' contribution to early support work with children and families is strong. Staff in schools ensure that work is well planned to identify and meet children's needs. | The Harrow Strategic Safeguarding Partnership (HSSP) does not have effective oversight or scrutiny of the multi-agency safeguarding hub (MASH), or early help offer in Harrow. Children and their families benefit from a wide range of early help services that support them to improve their lived experiences. However, this is uncoordinated without a lead professional or multi-agency focus and often provided through a single-agency approach at the exclusion of partners. | The strategic oversight and scrutiny from the HSSP of the MASH and the provision of early support. The location of the MASH to ensure that agencies are co-located safely and are supported to assess risk and make timely joint decisions. The capacity of police and health resources to support the work in the MASH. | None | Not found or not applicable. | 24/05/23 | ofsted.gov.uk/50217932 |
| 80503 | 313 | GL | E09000018 | hounslow | 13/06/17 | Abuse and neglect in hounslow between 21 march 2017 and 24 march 2017. | Not found or not applicable. | Identifying and managing risk of harm at the front door Thresholds are not yet consistently well understood or applied. Some partners report that they have to make several contacts before a contact is progressed. In addition, partner agencies send inappropriate and irrelevant information, which generates work and blocks the system. | The Hounslow One Stop Shop is an excellent service. Parents who are subject to domestic abuse are able to attend this resource, which is open one morning a week, and they can access a wide range of support, advice and signposting to services. Parents can access legal advice, support from an independent domestic violence adviser (IDVA), childrens social care, police, housing, substance misuse support, a refuge worker and an independent sexual violence adviser. | Not found or not applicable. | Not found or not applicable. | Case study: highly effective practice | One exemplary case concerning young children demonstrates strong multi- agency working. Following the referral from school, the protection of the children was prioritised. The assessment provides good analysis of risk and strengths. | 13/06/17 | ofsted.gov.uk/50000225 |
| 80505 | 206 | GL | E09000019 | islington | 29/01/19 | Sexual abuse in the family in islington between 3 december 2018 and 7 december 2018. | Not found or not applicable. | There is a need across the partnership for shared multi-agency analysis of information about child sexual abuse in the family environment to enhance senior leaders understanding of the prevalence and profile of children at risk of sexual abuse in the family environment. The analysis of the experiences of the children considered in the deep dive indicates that senior leaders need to further understand the quality and impact of interventions for children subject to and at risk of sexual abuse in the family environment. Strategic documentation and plans do not specifically focus on the needs of these children and there is a missed opportunity to explicitly link them to the development of trauma-informed practice. | There is a clear strategic intent, vision and expectation among senior leaders to improve outcomes for all children. Partnership arrangements are purposeful in their drive for innovative practice derived from trauma-informed and relationship- based leadership. Governance arrangements across Islington are strong and inclusive of the Safer Islington Partnership and ISCB working together for a safer Islington. | Not found or not applicable. | Not found or not applicable. | None | Not found or not applicable. | 29/01/19 | ofsted.gov.uk/50052395 |
| 80508 | 209 | GL | E09000023 | lewisham | 31/01/23 | Initial need and risk in the london borough of lewisham. | Not found or not applicable. | Not found or not applicable. | Despite increased demand pressures, leaders continuous and strenuous efforts to collectively drive forward improvement are making a positive difference to the quality of front door practice with their most vulnerable children and residents. Leaders know their services well. They are unwavering in their efforts to drive improvement but acknowledge that practice is not consistently strong enough. | Lewishams Safeguarding Children Partnership (LSCP) arrangements are well established and are becoming increasingly effective. Stability of leadership since 2019 and a shared ambition and determination to drive forward continuous improvement are key factors positively influencing the partnerships progress in strengthening their front door services. The partners know their services well and have an accurate understanding of the collective local and national challenges they face. | The length of time children spend in police stations out of hours. Staffing capacity in the emergency duty team, the police missing persons unit and the referral and assessment teams. The inclusion of all relevant professionals in meetings and their access to pertinent information about children and their families. | None | Not found or not applicable. | 31/01/23 | ofsted.gov.uk/50206436 |
| 80510 | 315 | GL | E09000024 | merton | 12/02/24 | Serious youth violence in merton. | Not found or not applicable. | Not found or not applicable. | Co-located professionals in the multi-agency safeguarding hub (MASH) work together effectively to identify, and provide help and protection for, children who are at risk of, or affected by, serious youth violence and/or criminal exploitation. Strategic leaders make continuous and strenuous efforts to respond swiftly to evolving risks to children and to collectively drive forward innovation and improvement. Targeted initiatives and projects delivered jointly across the borough are reducing risks to children affected by serious youth violence and/or criminal exploitation. | Most vulnerable children in Merton affected by serious youth violence and/or criminal exploitation benefit from effective strategically aligned and integrated partnership arrangements. These arrangements are underpinned by comprehensive joint contextual safeguarding strategies that include a holistic analysis of factors that 2 make children more vulnerable to serious youth violence and criminal exploitation, those missing from home and those exploited by organised gangs. This provides a shared understanding for prioritising and meeting childrens needs. | The development of a cohesive child-centred policing policy for London. Child-centred training for police officers across all teams and services in responding to and investigating crimes for children affected by serious youth violence and/or criminal and sexual exploitation. Rigorous management oversight and consistent child-centred decisions in the police custody suite when children are arrested and searched. | None | Not found or not applicable. | 12/02/24 | ofsted.gov.uk/50239374 |
| 80513 | 318 | GL | E09000027 | richmond upon thames | 06/09/24 | Identification of initial need and risk in richmond upon thames. | Not found or not applicable. | Not found or not applicable. | and areas for improvement well. Leaders use a wide range of measures to monitor practice and evaluate its impact for children and families. The KRSCP subgroups are effective in their planning and their scrutiny of performance data. | The local safeguarding partnership functions under a joint arrangement with a neighbouring authority. Senior leaders from police, childrens social care and the integrated care board share the statutory responsibility for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children in both local areas, via a strategic leadership group. There is currently inconsistent engagement across the three statutory partners in the local safeguarding arrangements, with limited attendance at strategic meetings by police representatives. | The quality of partners referrals to the SPA, specifically, the use of professional curiosity and the details given about childrens family circumstances and their lived experiences. The timeliness of formal strategy meetings outside of normal working hours, for children who may be at risk of significant harm. The delivery of Operation Encompass, to ensure police are consistently informing schools when children have experienced domestic abuse. | None | Not found or not applicable. | 06/09/24 | ofsted.gov.uk/50256172 |
| 80515 | 319 | GL | E09000029 | sutton | 01/09/23 | Identification of initial need and risk (often referred to as the front door) in sutton. | Not found or not applicable. | Not found or not applicable. | and the challenges, ensuring that most children can access the requisite level of help, support and protection at the right time across front door services. A critical aspect of mitigating the impact of significant changes taking place in health services and in the Metropolitan police service has been the LSCPs proactive action, together with key partners, to address the significant gaps in resources and staffing capacity at strategic and operational levels. Leaders recognise that, despite their endeavours, this is not sustainable in the longer term. | Children and their families in Sutton benefit from inclusive multi-agency local safeguarding childrens partnership (LSCP) arrangements. Committed leaders have an accurate and realistic understanding of the services they lead, including both the strengths and the challenges, ensuring that most children can access the requisite level of help, support and protection at the right time across front door services. A critical aspect of mitigating the impact of significant changes taking place in health services and in the Metropolitan police service has been the LSCPs proactive action, together with key partners, to address the significant gaps in resources and staffing capacity at strategic and operational levels. | The effectiveness of management oversight and supervision across health and police services. Management and staff capacity in the police, early help teams and health services. The timely provision of suitable accommodation for children subject to police protection. | None | Not found or not applicable. | 01/09/23 | ofsted.gov.uk/50227080 |
| 80521 | 352 | NW | E08000003 | manchester | 30/11/23 | Serious youth violence in manchester. | Not found or not applicable. | Not found or not applicable. | Robust multi-agency arrangements with clear accountabilities and a well- understood strategy are leading to many children receiving a range of effective responses to address serious youth violence. A significant number of innovative approaches and interventions developed and managed by the partnership are making a positive difference to childrens lives. A culture of professional challenge and shared learning is helping to enable improvements in practice and in the impact of services. | Effective and mature partnership arrangements between agencies are supporting a coordinated and comprehensive muti-agency response to serious youth violence. A strong learning culture enables the partnership to identify when improvements are needed and to work together to address these. There is a well-understood strategy in place and much purposeful activity that is reducing risks to children. | How effectively the arrangements for the monitoring and evaluation of serious youth violence support the partnership in implementing its strategy. How well the strong strategic intent to address the disproportionate impact of serious youth violence and criminal exploitation on children from some ethnic backgrounds and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) has been translated into positive change for children. The specificity and thoroughness of plans, and how effectively they are implemented, reviewed and developed so that children get the right help at the right time. | None | Not found or not applicable. | 30/11/23 | ofsted.gov.uk/50234228 |
| 80522 | 887 | NaN | E06000035 | medway | 03/08/18 | Domestic abuse in medway between 18 june 2018 and 22 june 2018. | Not found or not applicable. | The partnership has not ensured that that the new multi-agency front-door arrangements of the SPA and MASH, introduced in April 2018, consistently gather the right information quickly enough and make swift and appropriate decisions about children. This means that some children are left in situations of unassessed risk. This is particularly true when risks to children are chronic rather than acute. | There is a shared commitment across the partnership to tackle domestic abuse. A 2015 needs assessment, followed up by a new 2018 domestic abuse joint strategic needs assessment, provides a clear understanding of the level and profile of need, and highlights gaps in service provision. Although there is an overall lack of coherence, and gaps in provision remain despite plans to enhance provision, local services do show examples of good practice and innovation. | Not found or not applicable. | Not found or not applicable. | Case study: areas for priority action and improvement | Amelia is a 12-year-old girl who has been living with domestic abuse for a very long time. The way the agencies involved have worked with Amelia, her family and each other has been poor. Weaknesses in their practice include agencies working in isolation, work taking place without an up-to-date comprehensive assessment, poor planning, drift and frequent changes of social worker. | 03/08/18 | ofsted.gov.uk/50009659 |
| 80524 | 826 | SE | E06000042 | milton keynes | 18/12/19 | Childrens mental health in milton keynes between 14 and 18 october 2019. | Not found or not applicable. | Leadership and management While there have been some noteworthy improvements in accessibility to mental health services and plans for the future of young peoples mental health services in Milton Keynes are in place, there are still some areas that require further work. This includes, for instance, ensuring that young people whose mental health needs mean they sit just below the threshold for CAMHS can receive a service that meets their needs well. The partners identified this gap in service provision in their needs analysis in July 2019. | There is clear drive and determination at a strategic level in Milton Keynes to improve outcomes for children. Effective governance structures and agency attendance at a wide range of boards provide evidence of a collective commitment to working in partnership in relation to safeguarding, and to meeting the needs of children with poor emotional and mental health. Partners have worked together to develop and implement strategic plans on childrens mental health, to understand the needs of children in Milton Keynes and to drive improvements in services. | Not found or not applicable. | Not found or not applicable. | Case study: highly effective practice | Children who enter the YOT system are assessed promptly. The assessment focuses on understanding any underlying factors, such as emotional and mental ill health, and speech, language and communication difficulties, which may contribute to the childs offending behaviour. Direct access to a CAMHS worker and a speech and language therapist mean that children who need these services receive them swiftly. | 18/12/19 | ofsted.gov.uk/50134651 |
| 80532 | 929 | NE | E06000057 | northumberland | 02/08/19 | Child exploitation in northumberland between 17 and 21 june 2019. | Not found or not applicable. | The need for an intelligence profile of the criminal exploitation of children has recently been identified by leaders in the partnership and commissioned by the police. The child sexual exploitation profile needs to be updated. This means that the ability of the partnership to understand the extent of child criminal exploitation in Northumberland is currently limited. | The MASH has effective systems in place which ensure that new concerns about children are responded to in a timely manner. In the main, thresholds are understood, and the risk of significant harm is identified. Timely strategy meetings are held and include the right professionals. | Not found or not applicable. | Not found or not applicable. | Case study: highly effective practice | The local area has built on the embedded good practice of Operation Encompass by implementing Operation Endeavour. Every school and general practice across the area receives missing children notifications. This initiative strengthens information-sharing about children of concern and has resulted in proactive harm reduction work. | 02/08/19 | ofsted.gov.uk/50097926 |
| 80536 | 931 | SE | E10000025 | oxfordshire | 10/05/16 | Abuse and neglect in oxfordshire between 7 march 2016 and 12 march 2016. | Not found or not applicable. | Leadership and management Senior leaders within childrens social care have not yet achieved the same good standard of practice across all services. They are full and effective partners in initiatives to improve partners responses to sexual exploitation, such as the Kingfisher team and services to support missing children. However, the quality and standard of this integrated model of service delivery is not replicated for all children and young people at the point of referral to childrens services for reasons other than exploitation. | Significant financial resources and time have been expended by the local authority, police and health agencies, following a high profile investigation into child sexual exploitation in the county. This investigation commenced in 2011. The Oxfordshire Safeguarding Childrens Board (OSCB) has strategically and effectively led the development of a robust multi-agency response to child sexual exploitation. | Not found or not applicable. | Not found or not applicable. | Case study: highly effective practice | Oxfordshire child protection agencies place children and young people who have experienced child sexual exploitation at the heart of their practice. One young person who had been subjected to exploitation said he had received a comprehensive service from his social worker. He said he has experienced sustained and trusting relationships with the social worker. | 10/05/16 | ofsted.gov.uk/50000219 |
| 80537 | 874 | E | E06000031 | peterborough | 10/08/17 | Abuse and neglect in peterborough city council between 26 and 30 june 2017. | Not found or not applicable. | Identifying and managing risk of harm at the front door Social work decision-making in the MASH is not always informed by the effective evaluation of childrens history or consideration of their lived experience. This means that some older children suffering neglect do not have their needs fully considered. In some less high-risk cases, key information from partners is not always gathered to inform decisions and plans for children, and agencies do not consistently get feedback to keep them informed. | The PSCB has started to support partners to understand and focus on the specific risks to older children suffering neglect. The board has identified the further work needed to develop links between the strategy around neglect and work with children at risk of criminal exploitation and from gangs. The board has also facilitated learning, through presentations of research, regarding the links between neglect and child sexual exploitation. | Not found or not applicable. | Not found or not applicable. | Case study: highly effective practice | Involvement of adult substance misuse service in multi-agency working and keeping children safe. The adult substance misuse service is effective in contributing to the safeguarding of children experiencing neglect in Peterborough. Regular risk assessments by the service show consideration of the impact of adult behaviours on children and how these behaviours contribute to neglect. | 11/08/17 | ofsted.gov.uk/50000229 |
| 80538 | 879 | SW | E06000026 | plymouth | 08/01/20 | Childrens mental health in plymouth between 18 november 2019 and 22 november 2019. | Not found or not applicable. | The governance arrangements for the youth offending team are weak and require urgent attention. Children allocated within the YOT do not have their needs fully and holistically known or understood at board level, and the partnership cannot be confident those needs are being met. A period of change and transition has meant that the leadership is not providing a coherent or comprehensive oversight of the service. | Senior leadership across the partnership is stable. Attendance and commitment to key strategic boards provide a robust multi-agency overview of childrens mental health needs. The children and young people partnership system design group (CYPPSDG) reports to the health and well-being board and maintains a strong focus on childrens emotional well-being and mental health. | Not found or not applicable. | Not found or not applicable. | Case study: effective practice | A looked after young person with a number of adverse childhood experiences has experienced a significant number of episodes of going missing, criminal and sexual exploitation, substance misuse, offending behaviour and disengagement from education. The young person has substantial mental health difficulties, impacting on their safety and emotional well-being. They have previously been provided with a series of unsuitable places to live. | 08/01/20 | ofsted.gov.uk/50140853 |
| 80539 | 851 | SE | E06000044 | portsmouth | 31/01/20 | Childrens mental health in portsmouth between 9 and 13 december 2019. | Not found or not applicable. | While referrals to the MASH are timely, the quality of referrals by partners is not consistently good. 11 Referrers and key agencies are not always informed of outcomes of referrals or notifications sent to the MASH. Initial strategy discussions in the MASH do not bring all the key agencies together, which means that the planning for section 47 enquiries is not always sufficiently well informed by key information, including information about childrens developmental and emotional well-being needs. | Joint working and integration at a strategic level in Portsmouth is strong and is increasingly leading to children in Portsmouth receiving the emotional well-being and mental health services they need. Further examples of strong partnership working were seen in the health and well-being board and the Portsmouth safeguarding childrens partnership (PSCP), both of which include representatives of statutory and non-statutory partners. These bodies have strengthened relationships between leaders and underpin the ambition to improve support for childrens emotional well-being and mental health needs. | Not found or not applicable. | Not found or not applicable. | Case study: highly effective practice | Some children benefit from strong integrated working that is child-centred and clearly recognises their needs. Professionals work effectively together, leading to a strong multi-agency response to children who have mental ill health. For example, Joanna who had traumatic early life experiences, including feeling rejected, and who consequently suffers from anxiety, is being supported in a flexible way to ensure that her mental health needs are met. | 31/01/20 | ofsted.gov.uk/50144233 |
| 80542 | 354 | NW | E08000005 | rochdale | 12/07/24 | Identification of initial need and risk (often referred to as the front door) in rochdale. | Not found or not applicable. | Not found or not applicable. | and areas for improvement. Through analysis of audits under section 11 of the Children Act 2004, the RBSCP has assured itself that safeguarding is a priority for all partner agencies. Themed audits provide appropriate recommendations for change, but further analysis has not taken place to evaluate whether practice has changed or improved. | Rochdale Borough Safeguarding Childrens Partnership (RBSCP) is well established. Shared priorities are communicated clearly in strategic plans and in annual reports. Local and regional governance arrangements are augmented by a culture of professional accountability and respectful challenge. | The RBSCPs quality assurance arrangements and routine multi-agency audits, to offer assurances on the impact of front door services for vulnerable children. Consistent consideration of the voice of children, their lived experiences and unique and diverse needs in referrals, practice and plans across all agencies and by the RBSCP executive. The provision of additional capacity and resources for staff in schools and in health services, to support the lead practitioner role, including when health navigators are absent from the EHASH. | None | Not found or not applicable. | 12/07/24 | ofsted.gov.uk/50252244 |
| 80546 | 868 | SE | E06000040 | windsor & maidenhead | 04/07/22 | Identification of initial need and risk in the royal borough of windsor and maidenhead. | Not found or not applicable. | Not found or not applicable. | and areas for improvement and is responsive to challenge. Partners demonstrate mostly effective scrutiny and oversight of frontline practice across all agencies. The partnership is focused on driving improvements to the provision offered to children and young people in need at their first point of contact with services. | The safeguarding partnership in Windsor and Maidenhead is effective. This strong partnership works well to help and protect children. It demonstrates care and compassion and a sustained approach to striving to deliver good services. | Monitoring and oversight of safeguarding practice in adult services. Consistency and quality of partner contacts and referrals to the single point of access. Timely response from partners within agreed timescales to requests for information from the multi-agency safeguarding hub (MASH). | None | Not found or not applicable. | 04/07/22 | ofsted.gov.uk/50187407 |
| 80548 | 355 | NW | E08000006 | salford | 28/10/16 | Abuse and neglect in salford between 12 and 16 september 2016. | Not found or not applicable. | A multi-agency internal audit was coordinated by childrens social care on behalf of the SSCB on children living with domestic abuse, and this identified a number of the same themes identified by this inspection. The key agencies have a good understanding of the work that they need to do locally to improve the response to children living with domestic abuse. Findings have been integrated into the childrens domestic abuse action plan. | Leaders and managers have a good understanding of the nature and extent of domestic abuse in their area, and this informs the development of strategic thinking and planning. It also underpins the Salford commitment to agencies working together to respond to families at an early stage. The partnership has a clear vision and adapts initiatives to maximise their effectiveness within Salford. | Not found or not applicable. | Not found or not applicable. | Case study: highly effective practice | The Bridge is effective in enabling children and families to access help at an early stage through a wide range of good early intervention services. Effective information sharing was evident in early help and is improving further with the development of the 025 pilot for early help in the West locality, which is supporting the co-location of adult and childrens services. Practitioners assess effectively the needs of children and families to ensure appropriate interventions. | 28/10/16 | ofsted.gov.uk/50000227 |
| 80550 | 343 | NW | E08000014 | sefton | 18/12/19 | Childrens mental health in sefton. | Leaders across the strategic partnership need to take swift and decisive action to ensure that: the mental health needs of children in the borough are fully understood and addressed, with a particular focus on avoiding drift and delay and more effective service commissioning there is improvement in communication, information-sharing and the application of thresholds and, where appropriate, ensure that escalation processes are followed child protection procedures are followed to protect children who are at risk of harm 3 there is improvement in the coordination and effectiveness of early help childrens mental health service response. Areas for improvement The relevant strategic partners are not always involved in decisions about which services are needed for children with emotional well-being and mental health needs. This reduces their opportunity to share information about childrens needs effectively and reduces their capacity to optimise plans for the commissioning of services. | The relevant strategic partners are not always involved in decisions about which services are needed for children with emotional well-being and mental health needs. This reduces their opportunity to share information about childrens needs effectively and reduces their capacity to optimise plans for the commissioning of services. The police are not represented at the HWBB and are not present and fully engaged with education partners on the CICG. | Senior leaders across the partnership recognise the importance of supporting children to be resilient, and they share a commitment to multi-agency working. Childrens emotional health and well-being have been priorities for leaders in Sefton for several years and have resulted in the commissioning of a range of services to help support children and their families. The HWBB has appropriate links with the local safeguarding partnership arrangements and receives regular information on childrens needs and services from the childrens emotional health and well-being steering group and the childrens integrated commissioning group (CICG). | Not found or not applicable. | Not found or not applicable. | Case study: area(s) for improvement | Poor assessments of one childs experiences, and risks to her safety and her mental health have led to a lack of joint decision-making and planning to effect positive change for her. As a result, the child was supported under a child in need plan for five years, with no positive impact on the level of risk, her emotional well-being or her mental health. There has been escalation of concerns and professional challenge over a considerable period, with mixed messages and limited articulation of the outcomes to be achieved. | 18/12/19 | ofsted.gov.uk/50134652 |
| 80552 | 893 | WM | E06000051 | shropshire | 15/01/19 | Sexual abuse in the family in shropshire between 19 november 2018 and 23 november 2018. | Not found or not applicable. | The partnership is not currently achieving the maximum effectiveness from the co- location of agencies within Compass. Triaging and decision-making for children in need or at risk is largely local authority-led, except for children discussed at a daily Domestic Violence Triage meeting, rather than being more jointly owned by the partnership through effective information-sharing and decision-making. Professional challenge when professionals are working together to protect children is not always sufficiently robust. | Children in Shropshire receive a timely and proportionate response when concerns are raised about children at risk of significant harm and those requiring an assessment of need. The positive working relationship between partners in the Compass service contributes to the overall confidence of partners in decision- making and the application of thresholds. Services at the front door are well established, with experienced, confident and competent social work staff and managers who recognise issues of child sexual abuse along with other safeguarding issues, and respond sensitively. | Not found or not applicable. | Not found or not applicable. | None | Not found or not applicable. | 15/01/19 | ofsted.gov.uk/50050253 |
| 80554 | 334 | WM | E08000029 | solihull | 21/02/22 | The identification of initial need and risk in solihull. | Leaders of the local safeguarding children partnership need to take urgent action to understand and identify the initial needs and risks of children presenting to Solihulls front door services. This includes: ensuring that there is sufficient multi-agency capacity within the MASH to meet childrens needs promptly ensuring that comprehensive performance information and a robust audit programme, relating to practice and impact for children in the MASH, are delivered and regularly considered by the LSCP ensuring that the right agencies are represented in the range of the LSCPs activities and that there are sufficient resources to support the LSCP to carry out its statutory functions. West Midlands Police need to take urgent action to improve the quality of information held on the Connect system to make sure that links to connected individuals are present and accurate, and to reduce multiple records held against the same person, so that risk to children can be clearly seen, recognised and shared when appropriate. | Not found or not applicable. | Not found or not applicable. | Children in need of help and protection in Solihull wait too long for their initial need and risk to be assessed. This means that for a significant number of children, they remain in situations of unassessed and unknown risk. Weaknesses in the joint strategic governance of the multi-agency safeguarding hub (MASH) have led to the lack of a cohesive approach to structuring and resourcing the MASH. | The timeliness and quality of the initial decision-making in the MASH in relation to concerns received about children. The communication between health agencies in the MASH and their access to all health information held about children to ensure timely and effective information- sharing that informs decision-making for children. All agencies attendance at, and engagement with, child protection meetings, discussions and information-sharing forums. | None | Not found or not applicable. | 21/02/22 | ofsted.gov.uk/50177948 |
| 80555 | 933 | SW | E10000027 | somerset | 18/07/24 | Serious youth violence in somerset. | How well the Safer Somerset Partnership (SSP) understands the extent of serious youth violence and criminal exploitation in Somerset to enable an informed strategic response and more effective frontline practice. The sharing of information and the recognition of risk by partner agencies, to protect children at risk of serious youth violence at the earliest opportunity. In particular, the quality, effectiveness and governance of safeguarding practice by lead safeguarding partners in the Somerset NHS ICB, Somerset Council Public Health Directorate and Avon and Somerset Constabulary in Somerset. | Not found or not applicable. | Child-centred and positive relationships between children and early intervention workers, including family intervention specialists. The involvement of children in identifying their priorities for reducing risk, both individually and collectively. The level of knowledge and understanding in the emergency duty service of serious youth violence and county lines. | Ineffective partnership working between agencies has led to a failure to identify, understand and respond to the extent of serious youth violence and the criminal exploitation of children in Somerset. As a result, children are being left at risk of significant harm. Strategic leaders do not have a local problem profile or analysis of need and rely too heavily on crime data in isolation. | How effectively the Somerset Safeguarding Children Partnership (SSCP) and the SSP prioritise and fulfil their serious violence duty. How effectively partner agencies challenge and support schools to tackle the very high exclusion rates, to enable children to remain in school and to reduce the increased vulnerability to serious youth violence and criminal exploitation associated with being out of school. The professional curiosity of practitioners across the partnership, with specific regard to the links between childrens additional vulnerabilities and the risk of serious youth violence and criminal exploitation. | None | Not found or not applicable. | 18/07/24 | ofsted.gov.uk/50252825 |
| 80557 | 393 | NE | E08000023 | south tyneside | 05/04/16 | Abuse and neglect in south tyneside metropolitan borough between 22 and 26 february 2016. | Not found or not applicable. | Leadership and management There is a lack of effective management oversight within health services to ensure that all health professionals effectively and routinely assess risks to children. Health Local Authority and CCG commissioners and senior managers in South Tyneside Foundation Trust do not have a sufficiently robust understanding of what is happening to assess and manage risk in those frontline services inspected. There is a lack of regular safeguarding audit activity by safeguarding leads in the South Tyneside Foundation Trust in both the community and acute services inspected. | There is a clear commitment from leaders across the partnership and from the council to improve outcomes for vulnerable children. The local partnership has a clear determination and ambition to prevent child sexual exploitation. A whole council approach to tackling child sexual exploitation in South Tyneside is developing and this is promoted through the Local Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB). | Not found or not applicable. | Not found or not applicable. | Case study: highly effective practice | Staff in the Community Rehabilitation Company (CRC) and the National Probation Service (NPS) are effective in identifying and taking action to address risks to children that arise from the behaviour of the people who are supervised by these agencies. The staff manage risks well and work closely with partners to alert them to concerns and offer support to address offending and behaviours that might harm children. For example, the NPS are effective in identifying children who are linked to offenders who have committed violent offences. | 05/04/16 | ofsted.gov.uk/50000221 |
| 80559 | 882 | E | E06000033 | southend-on-sea | 09/05/18 | Child sexual exploitation, children associated with gangs and at risk of exploitation and children missing from home, care or education in southend-on-sea between 19 and 23 march 2018. | Not found or not applicable. | The current child sexual exploitation action plan, strategy and guidance documents are clear, up to date and contain specific actions, but are still very new and at too early a stage to have had a significant impact. It is not clear how local information, audit and scrutiny have underpinned the strategy, and some elements of the local approach are not as advanced as they could be. For example, work with local taxi drivers remains at an early stage of development. | Work in Southend-on-Sea to tackle child sexual and criminal exploitation, gangs and the risks arising from going missing from home, care or school is underpinned by strong working relationships and a shared commitment and drive for continuous improvement. This is reflected in how agencies have used national best practice and local learning to enhance the quality and impact of services. When agencies, particularly the police and local authority, have worked together to tackle the risks for a specific group of children and young people, learning from this joint working has acted as a catalyst to enhance the quality and effectiveness of wider services, for example through building on the success of the adolescent intervention team. | Not found or not applicable. | Not found or not applicable. | Case study: effective practice | Strong partnership working and a timely response tailored to the individual needs of a child have ensured that he is safer from harm. Risk, not only to him but also to the wider public, has been tackled effectively. He has built a relationship of trust with key professionals, providing a platform for further progress. | 09/05/18 | ofsted.gov.uk/50004430 |
| 80563 | 808 | NE | E06000004 | stockton-on-tees | 15/01/18 | Abuse and neglect in stockton-on-tees between 20 and 24 november 2017. | Not found or not applicable. | There is a lack of resilience in some of the partnership teams within the childrens hub. Staff sickness and capacity issues caused health services to become virtual partners for several months, while workload pressures mean that police child protection support officers regularly carry out work from the central protecting vulnerable people support team (PVP). This has created delay in considering the cases of a few children. | In addition to the LSCB conference, statement of intent, neglect training and roll- out of the evidence-based tool for identifying neglect, individual agencies are focused on enhancing the knowledge and skills of front line staff to tackle neglect. Recent initiatives include the local authoritys topic of the month focus on adolescent neglect in August and September, neglect training delivered in termly forum meetings with school-designated safeguarding leads and quick awareness-raising measures, such as Cleveland polices child neglect screensaver. Alongside the roll-out of the neglect assessment tool, the ongoing adoption of the family work model across agencies is beginning to support a sharper focus on both neglect and the lived experiences of children. | Not found or not applicable. | Not found or not applicable. | Case study: highly effective practice | Strong partnership working and timely and effective intervention to tackle neglect have resulted in significantly improved outcomes for Mark, a highly vulnerable seven-year-old boy who had been living with serious and chronic neglect. A prompt and comprehensive referral to the childrens hub by his school identified significant concerns about neglect for Mark. The subsequent social work assessment further substantiated these risks. | 15/01/18 | ofsted.gov.uk/50000232 |
| 80566 | 394 | NE | E08000024 | sunderland | 16/03/23 | Children and families who need help. | Not found or not applicable. | Not found or not applicable. | The LSPs highly evolved and mature strategic relationships with its key partners and local organisations have led to creative, innovative early help services, ensuring that children swiftly get the right level of help. Robust governance arrangements are enhanced by a culture of professional curiosity, accountability and respectful challenge. Leaders know their services well. | Sunderland Safeguarding Children Partnership (LSP) arrangements are well established and effective. Leaders have an accurate understanding of the needs of vulnerable children in their local area. They are fully cognisant of the importance of addressing childrens needs early. | Communication with and involvement of all partners in meetings and in decisions about next steps to help children. Increased staffing capacity to allow the consistent involvement of health practitioners across the spectrum of early help services. Consideration and analysis of childrens ethnic identity, cultural heritage and diverse needs in referrals, assessments and plans. | None | Not found or not applicable. | 16/03/23 | ofsted.gov.uk/50211127 |
| 80567 | 936 | SE | E10000030 | surrey | 02/05/23 | Children and families in surrey who need help. | Not found or not applicable. | Not found or not applicable. | and the further areas for development. The partnership is investing in a clear shared vision of early help, and they are increasingly working well together. The partnership has engaged well with partners in the community and voluntary sector and the large number of borough councils. | Children and families in Surrey have access to a broad and predominantly well- coordinated range of family support and early help services. For some children, this support is making a positive difference in their lives. However, not all children are receiving the right help at the right time. | Oversight of the quality and effectiveness of early help provision by the Surrey Safeguarding Childrens Partnership so that the partnership is assured that the right children are receiving timely, coordinated multi-agency support. Referral agencies and parents being consistently informed of the outcomes of referrals. Information-sharing between partners, to enable partners to support children more effectively. | None | Not found or not applicable. | 02/05/23 | ofsted.gov.uk/50215331 |
| 80572 | 880 | SW | E06000027 | torbay | 30/01/24 | Identification of initial need and risk in torbay. | Not found or not applicable. | Not found or not applicable. | A strong partnership approach to providing early help is making a positive difference for many children. The development of family hubs and the access families have to immediate support. Consistently good multi-agency attendance and information-sharing in the MASH supports and protects children. | The Torbay Safeguarding Children Partnership (TSCP) was reconstituted in 2020 following a short period of alignment with a neighbouring local authority. Since that time, a clearer focus on the children of Torbay has resulted in a more targeted and cohesive approach to both strategic oversight and the identification and delivery of services to children who may be in need or at risk of harm. The TSCP Executive Group functions effectively and benefits from healthy challenge from independent scrutiny. | The consistency with which professional curiosity and challenge are applied, particularly in situations in which children living with chronic domestic abuse or neglect are not making progress and situations in which children have unexplained injuries. Performance information across the partnership to inform needs analysis and measure the impact of strategic approaches to areas of concern. 3 The partnerships strategic approach to children with poor emotional and mental health. | None | Not found or not applicable. | 30/01/24 | ofsted.gov.uk/50238582 |
| 80574 | 335 | WM | E08000030 | walsall | 06/01/23 | Identification of initial need and risk in walsall. | Not found or not applicable. | Not found or not applicable. | in practice. The Operations and Scrutiny Group proactively requested assurance from the MASH Management Group about the front door practice in the context of the findings of the Solihull Joint Targeted Area Inspection. The MASH Management Group reviewed whether the areas for improvement and priority actions were relevant to Walsalls front door. | Children who need help and protection receive a coordinated and effective multi- agency response at the front door in Walsall. Senior leaders ensure that there is a culture of continuous and shared learning across the partnership, which is successfully disseminated to staff. This helps to support identification of risk and needs for children, at the earliest opportunity, and promotes improvements in services for children and their families. | The collation of information about childrens health needs so that they are consistently analysed effectively by a health practitioner in the multi-agency safeguarding hub (MASH). The MASHs communication with general practitioners (GPs) and the consistency in using health information they provide about children. 2 The consistent attendance and participation of partners at strategy meetings so that relevant knowledge and information about risks to children are shared effectively. | None | Not found or not applicable. | 06/01/23 | ofsted.gov.uk/50203897 |
| 80580 | 865 | SW | E06000054 | wiltshire | 16/12/16 | Abuse and neglect in wiltshire between 31 october and 4 november 2016. | Not found or not applicable. | In all cases seen, risk has been identified and appropriate action taken to safeguard children. Overall, the multi-agency approach to protecting children and to reducing 9 the risk of domestic abuse is strong. There are, however, a number of areas where responses could be further strengthened and these are detailed below. | There is a strong and committed partnership across Wiltshire, including childrens social care, police, health services (including child and adolescent mental health services and adult mental health services), probation services, Cafcass, childrens centres, youth offending services and housing, as well as voluntary and community services, and this partnership has developed a culture of continuous improvement. All of these partners are dedicated to improving outcomes for vulnerable children, including those experiencing domestic abuse. It is clear that leaders in all organisations, including the lead member for childrens services, the police and crime commissioner and the director of quality, Wiltshire Clinical Commissioning Group have prioritised the protection of children, including those living in homes where domestic abuse occurs. | Not found or not applicable. | Not found or not applicable. | Case study: highly effective practice | The Domestic Abuse Conference Call takes place daily within the MASH. It is chaired by the police. All domestic abuse cases that have occurred within the previous 24 hours are discussed, with partners being sent details of the cases to be discussed prior to the meeting. | 16/12/16 | ofsted.gov.uk/50000228 |
| 80581 | 344 | NW | E08000015 | wirral | 16/02/23 | Children and families who need help in the wirral. | Not found or not applicable. | Not found or not applicable. | Senior leaders in partner agencies have a shared and well-developed vision for early help in the Wirral. Staff across statutory and voluntary agencies have understood and engaged with this. There is a broad range of locality-based early help and family support services available to children and their families that are making a positive difference. | Children and families in the Wirral are benefiting from a broad and generally well- coordinated range of family support and early help services that make a positive difference to their lives. Strategic leaders from the police, health agencies and the local authority have a clear understanding of practice across the partnership and know themselves well, actively inviting internal and external challenge. Cohesive leadership and healthy challenge have enabled the partnership to develop a strong and effective early help offer to children and their families. | How effectively the early help offer is further developed to ensure greater consistency of access for children across the local authority area. The proportion of children receiving early help who benefit from a coordinated multi-agency plan to coordinate that support and to help ensure that it is as effective as possible. How well the early help needs of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are met. | None | Not found or not applicable. | 16/02/23 | ofsted.gov.uk/50208286 |
| 80582 | 872 | SE | E06000041 | wokingham | 14/07/17 | Abuse and neglect in wokingham borough council between 22 may and 26 may 2017. | Not found or not applicable. | Identifying and managing risk of harm at the front door There are a number of areas of practice at the front door of services, in particular in the MASH, where further work is needed to ensure a consistent, and considered multi-agency approach to joint risk-assessment and decision- making in cases of neglect. Most significantly, more joint work is required at the early stages of assessment, when agencies are first made aware of children at risk of neglect. There were examples in a small number of cases where police officers had failed to effectively investigate concerns about adults who were linked to children who are experiencing neglect. | Strong and visible leadership by the Wokingham director of childrens services is evident in promoting a clear and shared direction with partner agencies in safeguarding children and young people at risk of neglect. The work undertaken alongside senior leaders in partner agencies whose responsibilities span a number of other local authority areas has helped to ensure that the specific needs of Wokinghams population are recognised. The development of the local MASH in 2016 is a strong example of ensuring that the needs of Wokinghams children are prioritised and responded to. | Not found or not applicable. | Not found or not applicable. | Case study: highly effective practice | The GP role in the recognition of neglect The role of GPs in recognising and taking steps to reduce and help address harm to children and young people at risk of neglect was strong in two GP practices that were visited. The issues that GPs are helping young people and their families to deal with are hidden or difficult to detect in an area of relative affluence such as Wokingham. These include the impact on childrens emotional and mental well-being where parents exert undue pressure and have idealised expectations that their children will achieve highly in all aspects of their lives. | 14/07/17 | ofsted.gov.uk/50000230 |