'A place where children are at the heart of' - Walsall Council's children's services rated 'outstanding' by Ofsted

In a report published today (Tuesday), the Ofsted inspectors described Walsall Council as a place where children are at the heart of.

After an inspection in May, Walsall’s children’s services were judged ‘outstanding’ in three areas: the impact of leaders on social work practice with children and families; the experiences and progress of children in care, and overall effectiveness. The experiences and progress of children who need help and protection were judged as ‘good’, as well as a new category, the experiences and progress of care leavers. 

In the report, inspectors commended the council for its unwavering commitment to ensuring the voices of children and families in Walsall are listened to, understood and have influence over the way services are delivered.  

The report explains children in the authority’s care receive outstanding support, and that they benefit from living in stable and long-lasting homes, where children feel loved by their carers.

 Social workers were also praised for the quality of the work they produce and how they forge positive and trusting relationships with children to gain a clear understanding of them, their needs and their reality.  

Underpinning the work delivered by children’s services is what inspectors describe as a formidable leadership team, with a relentless focus on continuous improvement outlined in strategy. 

The accolade builds upon the council’s previous rating of ‘good’ in 2021 and is seen as a result of hard work carried out since 2018 to transform and improve and provide better outcome for children, young people and their families, set out in the council’s Walsall Right 4 Children approach.  

Councillor Mark Statham, Portfolio Holder for Children, Families and Lifelong Learning at Walsall Council, said:  “Across the board, this report shows that Walsall is a place of absolute excellence, and we are so proud to have been recognised for the efforts we’ve put in. 

“Children’s services have been on a journey of continuous improvement over the last seven years, and it's that transformation, plus investment, which has got us to where we are today.  

“Not only that, but we have an exceptional workforce who are committed to Walsall. We’ve built meaningful relationships with our partner agencies who continuously show up for our vulnerable children, and plans are already up and running in areas where inspectors identified room for improvement.

“This is deserving recognition for everyone in Walsall Council’s children’s services, and our standards will only continue to rise so we can build upon this fantastic achievement.”