No further “drift, delay and deterioration” can be allowed within Liverpool Council’s children’s services according to opposition members.
In May, a damning Ofsted report slammed the service provided by the local authority as “inadequate” and cited “serious weaknesses” for children who need help or protection, leaving children “being harmed or at risk of harm.” Following an inspection in March, the children's services department has been rated as inadequate in four out of five of the key areas - including the overall rating.
Assessing the impact of leaders on social work practice with children and families, the education watchdog said the council had shown “insufficient prioritisation and pace in tackling critical areas necessary to enable improvement.”
READ MORE: Scouse burglary gang stole war medals and jewellery from elderly people's homes
The findings are scheduled to be debated by all members of the council when it meets in an extraordinary session next week. A motion has been laid by members of the largest opposition group - the Liberal Democrats - making a series of recommendations in the aftermath of the wide-ranging assessment.
The motion, put down by group leader Cllr Carl Cashman, said: “The Ofsted inspection of Children’s Services in March 2023 identified serious institutional failings. The council was put ‘on notice’ to improve from May 2018.
“Instead of improvement, Ofsted identified a pattern of ‘drift, delay and deterioration’ from 2018 with children at risk of ’significant harm’. All existing problems from 2018 remain with the only changes being a worsening of services.”
During the inspection period, Liverpool Council was without a director of children’s services following the departure of Steve Reddy earlier this year. The current interim director, Suzy Joyner, had been in post only a matter of days at the start of the inspection.
Ofsted officials praised the role of interim chief executive Theresa Grant, who was said to bring a “greater understanding of practice weaknesses, which has led to a recent acceleration in improvement, supported by political leaders.”
This included strengthening of governance and scrutiny arrangements, additional financial support and assertive actions leading to successes in recruitment. A permanent director, Jenny Turnross, will join the authority next month.
The motion calls upon council leader, Cllr Liam Robinson, and the cabinet to ensure that child protection plans are in place and are not abandoned in an untimely manner. Additionally, the opposition said the executive must implement regular ‘health checks’ on service quality to ensure no further drift, delay and deterioration.
In May, responding to the inspection, Cllr Robinson said: “I was deeply concerned to read the Ofsted report, and share the concerns of the whole city. We have been letting down our most vulnerable children and young people, as well as their families which is completely unacceptable.
“As a new Leader working with a new Cabinet and new Senior Management Team, we are determined to put this right. We have a new dedicated children’s social services lead, Cllr Liz Parsons, who has professional experience in this area, to help drive forward improvements.
“There is no greater responsibility for a council than being the corporate parent for young people who need support, and we owe it to each and every one of them to deliver the best service we possibly can.”
Don't miss the biggest and breaking stories by signing up to the Echo Daily newsletter here
