Release date: 23 August 2024
West Sussex County Council has been praised for its ‘substantially improved’ services that help young people leaving care to develop and flourish.
Ofsted said the council has created ‘a culture of excellent support’ for care leavers and that ‘leaders value them, their opinions matter to them and their work translates into meaningful change in how services are delivered.’
Inspectors visited the county council in July when they assessed arrangements for care leavers aged 18 to 25, including support into adulthood and for care leavers with specific needs.
Cllr Jacquie Russell, Cabinet Member for Children, Young People, Learning and Skills, said: “I am incredibly proud of all of our staff who support care leavers. I’m delighted that their hard work and dedication, and the positive impact it has on young people’s lives, has been recognised by the Ofsted inspectors.
“Their findings are testament to the amazing work done every day by our teams to help care leavers fulfil their potential as they move into adulthood, and to continually improve the services we offer to those who need our support.”
Cllr Paul Marshall, Leader of West Sussex County Council, added: “We have invested in people and infrastructure, including our Children and Young People services, to deliver the sustainable services our residents need as part of our council priorities.
“I’m pleased that the positive impact this has had on our services to support care leavers has been recognised by Ofsted.”
A letter to the county council from Ofsted, published today, says services for care leavers in West Sussex have substantially improved since a previous inspection in 2023. It adds that improvements have been made to help young people make the transition into adulthood safely and at their own pace.
The success of the West Sussex House Project, which provides young people leaving care with a safe home and supports them to live independently, was also highlighted.
Launched in January 2023, the project has already seen eight of the first 11 young people to take part now living in their own homes.
WATCH: Welcome to the West Sussex House Project video.
The council’s localised approach to housing support for care leavers was also hailed by Ofsted. This means that many young people can maintain local links and have access to local services, such as colleges, employment and training opportunities.
Ofsted inspectors did identify a need to reduce caseloads on personal advisors who work with care leavers. It also said the transition into the care leaver service for some young people is sometimes happening too late. However, it said the council recognises this and is actively recruiting to bring in additional staff to resolve these issues.
