As part of the inspection of local authority children’s services, Ofsted conducted a focused visit looking at the placement decision making for older children aged 14 and over in November 2024.
Since the previous inspection in September 2023, when the experience and progress of children in care was judged good, Ofsted noted that senior leaders have further strengthened the quality and impact of social work practice for older children in care.
Headline findings from the report demonstrate that there is a culture of child focused leadership, together with strong political support, which builds high aspirations for older children in care. Alongside this, it was acknowledged that strategic partnerships have been strengthened, creating a multi-agency commitment to create local homes for our children and young people.
Cllr Trevor Cave, Cabinet Spokesperson for Children’s Services, said: “I am truly proud of each person who has worked tirelessly to continue providing the highest quality of care for the young people in our borough.
“These outcomes reflect the passion and dedication of our social care staff, and the impact their support has on our young people in care is immeasurable.
“We continue to improve strength by strength, and our work doesn’t stop here. We’re committed to doing all that we can so that our children and young people live healthy happy lives, with opportunity, ambition and inspiration.”
Key highlights from the report include:
- Social workers carefully consider the individual needs of older children when they first come into care, taking time to listen to their wishes, and assessing families and friends as carers where this is in the child’s best interests.
- Older children in care make good progress because of the experiences and support that they receive from their carers, social workers, and personal advisors.
- There’s a strong emphasis on putting children and young people at the centre of planning and decisions that affect them. Social workers visit children regularly to develop relationships at the child’s pace, helping them to build trust, understand their experiences and to seek their views.
- There is a strong ethos that older children in care have the same needs to be loved, to be cared about and to feel safe as any other child. Inspectors have been able to see how leaders are invested in delivering the best services possible for older children who experience care.
- Development of The Hub provides older children and care leavers a range of structured support sessions, activities, drop-in, and informal social events. Children who use the hub described this as a ‘safe haven’ to inspectors.
The report emphasises that a fundamental factor in these improvements is due to successfully securing a more stable and skilled workforce following the last inspection.
Earlier this year we launched our social work recruitment strategy and practice model, which aims to recruit and retain highly skilled social care professionals offering wellbeing support, a strengths and relational-based way of working, development opportunities and a positive work culture.
Inspectors acknowledged these improvements, and that our social workers caseloads are manageable, they have opportunities to develop and upskill and that supportive front-line managers help social workers to do their jobs well. Notably, social care staff described working in Barnsley as “being warm and nurturing.”
