West Sussex County Council is celebrating after our children’s services team received its strongest ever Ofsted inspection results, being rated ‘good’ across all areas.
This significant achievement recognises the commitment and dedication of West Sussex Children’s Services staff who work tirelessly with partners to make a positive difference for West Sussex children and young people, improving their experiences and outcomes, and ensuring that every child has the opportunity to thrive.
While Ofsted no longer delivers a single overall judgement, it has rated West Sussex County Council ‘good’ in each of the four areas they assess, which are:
- The impact of leaders on social work practice with children and families
- The experiences and progress of children who need help and protection
- The experiences and progress of children in care
- The experiences and progress of care leavers
Ofsted’s ratings reflect the remarkable transformation of a service that was rated ‘inadequate’ by government inspectors seven years ago.
Councillor Jay Mercer, the Leader of West Sussex County Council, said: “Achieving a ‘good’ rating from Ofsted is a significant milestone for the county council and one that everyone involved in should be immensely proud of.
“This result is a testament to the professionalism, dedication and care shown every day by our children’s services staff, who work tirelessly to support some of the most vulnerable children, young people and families in West Sussex. My sincere thanks go to every member of the team for their hard work.
“While we celebrate this fantastic success, we will not be complacent, we know there is more to do and we remain ambitious for the future. We will build on this strong foundation, meeting the growing demand for our support and tackling the financial pressures we face, so that we deliver the very best outcomes for our children and young people.”
Councillor Sam Raby, West Sussex County Council’s Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Learning, said: “From our schools and children’s homes to our fostering service, SEND teams and so much more, I’m thrilled to say West Sussex County Council’s children’s services are ‘good’ across the board.
“The focus throughout our improvement journey has been on putting children, young people and families at the heart of everything we do. I’ve always been confident in the quality of services we deliver, and Ofsted’s findings have only reaffirmed that belief.
“The inspectors made some absolutely wonderful comments about the dedication, care and commitment shown by our staff, that helps make West Sussex a great place to grow up in.
“I’m proud to champion our children’s services team and will continue pushing the government to ensure we get the right resources to keep delivering such high-quality services for our children and young people.”
The latest report highlights several key findings about West Sussex children’s services, including:
- There is a clear overview of the quality of children’s services, where improvements have been made
- There are significant improvements in how we help and protect children and the quality of support for our care leavers
- Effective multi-agency information sharing results in clear actions to safeguard our vulnerable children and young people
- Social workers build trusting and reliable relationships with children
- The physical and emotional health needs of our children and young people are regularly assessed and reviewed
- Family relationships are carefully considered and planned around children’s individual needs
- Care leavers in West Sussex are well supported and benefit from a significantly improved service since the Ofsted inspection in 2023
- The views of our children and young people inform strategies, policies and practical improvement
- Political leaders share a clear vision for improving children’s services and work together with leaders and partners to ensure continued improvement
Ofsted inspectors acknowledged the council’s commitment to further improvement and the plans it has in place moving forward.
These include the need for greater consideration around children and young people’s culture and heritage before they come into the council’s care.
Inspectors also said there needs to be a stronger response to the timeliness and effectiveness of transition planning for children approaching adulthood.
Ofsted (the Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills) inspects and regulates services that provide education, training and care for children and young people in England.
Inspectors visited West Sussex children’s services between 7 and 25 September when they spoke to staff, as well as children, young people, families, carers, teachers and partner organisations.
A copy of the full report is published on the Ofsted website.
