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Council is the top for child protection

9:00pm Thursday 7th January 2010 in


SOCIAL workers in Swindon are among the best in the country at making sure children are safe, according to an Ofsted report.

Ofsted has graded Swindon Council as the top performing local authority in the country for safeguarding and looking after children in care.

Seven years ago, the council’s Children Services department was branded as one of the worst in the country.

Councillor Garry Perkins, Cabinet Member for Children Services, said: “I am very proud of this result which has been achieved through sheer determination and a real team effort across Children Services to raise standards even further.

“This news follows a recently graded outstanding Ofsted rating for our adoption services, so well done to all staff and partners and may the good work continue as we continue to strive towards excellence.”

Ofsted rated the council as ‘good’ overall for its safeguarding and looked after children services after an unannounced inspection last month.

The Ofsted report, which is made up of 33 categories, found that a quarter were ‘outstanding’, with a further 23 rated as ‘good’ and two deemed ‘adequate.’ The report praised the leadership and management within safeguarding teams. The report said: “Leadership across the local area partnership is outstanding and provides a good impetus for driving forward the safeguarding agenda.

“There is strong commitment demonstrated by partners, including the voluntary and community sector, to ensure that the well-being and safety of children and young people are at the heart of all service planning and delivery.”

The latest Ofsted visit comes under a new inspection framework, which started in September.

In December, the entire Children Services department was also judged as good by Ofsted – up from adequate last year and failure in 2002.

Comments(13)

her_in_doors2 says...
11:23pm Thu 7 Jan 10

So where are all you wingers that do nothing but moan about the Council. For once a department within social care gets a top rating and none of you manage to post a response. Well done to the people involved.

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Rusty23 says...
12:15am Fri 8 Jan 10

I have to say that this is one of the most important areas a council has to deal with and is a core service.

I am thrilled that SBC has been rated as the number one in the country.

Under Labour it was one of the worst. Well done and you have come so far.

And I know you are one of the worst funded councils. Wills and Snelgrove please hang your heads in shame and GO. You have no purpose any more.

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itsamess says...
3:30am Fri 8 Jan 10

Yes well done to achieve an excellent result--which i do point out only relates to children in care. It is also of note that other chilrens services had climbed to good as well--so yes at least some positive news from one part of council services--lets hope all our other services follow this trend.

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Bobfm says...
9:49am Fri 8 Jan 10

Did I miss the bit that said they had been rated number one in the country.

That said it is pleasing to see they've now sorted out their paper work, and care plans.

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Grimwald says...
10:05am Fri 8 Jan 10

Well done Garry Perkins.

Incidentally has anyone seen him in Shaw and Nine Elms recently?

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HackneyHackette says...
10:39am Fri 8 Jan 10

"Ofsted has graded Swindon Council as the top performing local authority in the country" - surely this needs editing? It got a 2 - good - but I can't see anywhere in the report that says it is the best in the whole country.

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LEC86 says...
1:15pm Fri 8 Jan 10

It wouldnt say in the report that its been rated as the top performing local authority, it isnt appropriate to put that in the report. What the adver mean is that so far, with the new type of inspections taking place, Swindon has received the highest scores and has achieved the most since the last inspection (JAR).

Also one of the comments said this is just a rating for looked after children in care - thats not the case. The inspection was of safeguarding and of looked after children, safeguarding is the child protection side where the majority of children are still at home, looked after children relates to those in care. The inspection was of both, and the rating applies to both.

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Bobfm says...
1:36pm Fri 8 Jan 10

LEC86, as someone who appears to know how the system works, I take it you would agree that this type of inspection is 99% paper work compliance.

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itsamess says...
2:11pm Fri 8 Jan 10

H H

Try para 2 it says that clearly it was top in the country.

Bob

Come on --same applies.

LEC 86

The excellent rating only applied to children in care--other areas had improved--sorry but we can only read and comment on what is written. Perhaps you can get a job on the adver and then write what you believe to be the facts.

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HackneyHackette says...
2:38pm Fri 8 Jan 10

itsames - I mean in the Ofsted report itself, not the newspaper report, sorry for the confusion.

LEC86 - If the Swindon Advertiser or Swindon Council has gone through every safeguarding report from the 150-odd local authorities on the Ofsted website, well done to them!

Of course Swindon has done really well though, just quibbling best in the country, but if it really is, good for them.

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Bobfm says...
7:49pm Fri 8 Jan 10

itsamess, it also says in paragraph one, amongst the best in the country, they either are best or their not. Let's hope they are.

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itsamess says...
2:48am Sat 9 Jan 10

Bob

Sure--but as the general services only reached good i was was specific as to the excellent which was for kids in care--para 1 of course refers to the other results in the report. Not a well written story. However all results improved which has to be something.

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LEC86 says...
12:12am Thu 14 Jan 10

itsamess, you're right that the fostering and adoption inspection was graded as outstanding, and the safeguarding and looked after children inspection was graded as good. However, as i said before, with the new type of inspections that Ofsted are doing, Swindon is one of the higest. If you read the advers article you'll see that they state that the new inspection framework for Ofsted began in September. So, i'll spell it out, out of the inspections that Ofsted have carried out since September, Swindon is top.
Its a shame that people are so quick to knock and find fault, instead of being pleased and proud that good work is being done with those children in Swindon who are at risk of harm and are most vulnerable.

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