I am very pleased to hear today Essex County Council's children’s social care department has been hailed as 'Outstanding' by Ofsted inspectors in every area assessed, recognising excellence of services for children and families. This is great news for all those families who need the help of the children's social services team, for whatever reason, and shows the dedication and hard work of all the social workers and support staff involved in work which can be very challenging at times.
Essex County Council has issued the following statement:
"The report praised how children’s needs were placed at the heart of decision making and hailed the children’s social care workforce as “unrelenting in its commitment, passion and determination to achieve even better progress for children”.
Inspectors singled out the investment in new service initiatives, stating this was making a real positive difference to children’s lives.
The report also highlighted that strong and stable leadership, well-established governance systems, clear strategic aims and effective partnership arrangements were cornerstones on which good practice was “flourishing” and children’s experiences were being improved.
Leaders were praised for being “outward looking and forward thinking” and planning for future changes to ensure that continued high-quality and sustainable services were provided.
Essex County Council’s children’s social care services were also rated ‘Outstanding’ during the previous Ofsted inspection in 2018. The latest report praised the work to further strengthen services and address the areas for improvement identified in the previous inspection.
Councillor Beverley Egan, Cabinet Member for Children’s Services and Early Years, said: “Achieving an Outstanding Ofsted rating is a fantastic achievement for everyone working in children’s social care in Essex, as well as our partners. Our success is a testament to them, and I want to say thank you to each and every person who has played a part in this rating.
“The report recognises how we have invested in our staff, improved practice and developed innovative methods, but continued to ensure at the heart of everything we do is the drive to improve the lives of vulnerable children and their families.
“While this report is fantastic news, we are not complacent, and I can assure residents we will continue working to further improve our services.”
Councillor Kevin Bentley, Essex County Council Leader, added: “An incredible amount of hard work has gone into securing this Ofsted rating and it shows how committed Essex County Council as an authority, as well as all of our staff, is to providing the highest possible standard of support for vulnerable children across Essex. Our work is making a real difference to their lives, and it brilliant to see our efforts recognised by Ofsted.
“I could not be prouder of this achievement. Congratulations to all involved.”
In a letter of congratulations following the report's publication, Yvette Stanley, National Director Regulation and Social Care at Ofsted, praised the work of the council.
She said: “Please pass on my congratulations to all the colleagues in Essex that have contributed to this achievement, as well as extending my personal thanks to all the staff, children, foster carers and wider stakeholders who participated in the inspection process.
“I know that this outcome will not diminish your ambition for or culture of embracing improvement in services and outcomes for children, and I extend my very best wishes for the next phases of your continuous improvement journey.”
The full Ofsted report can be found at https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/."