Improved children's services earn national role

The turnaround of a council's previously struggling children's services has continued after it was selected to be held up as an example nationally.

Norfolk County Council's children's services were rated "inadequate" in 2013 and 2015, but were judged as "outstanding" in all areas by regulator Ofsted earlier this year.

Now the authority's department has been added to the national Children's Social Care Improvement Team by the Department for Education (DfE), which will see it partnered with a local authority that needs to improve.

Wendy Atkinson, the authority's cabinet member for children, hailed the work of "dedicated and talented staff" and said the selection was "great to see".

The department's responsibilities include safeguarding, care and social services. It receives £387m for non-school duties from the council's £2.3bn annual budget.

Ofsted rated the department as "needs improvement" in 2017 and then a "good" in 2022, while it was under the authority's previous Conservative administration.

Reform UK took over running the council as a minority administration in May.

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Ofsted's inspectors praised the council's "inspirational strategic and operational leadership" in its "outstanding" report, which was published in May.

Atkinson, whose cabinet responsibilities also cover families and children with special educational needs and disabilities, added: "Other councils, and in turn children and families nationally, will be able to benefit from our expertise in supporting families and keeping children safe.

"This is a real credit to the team, who have made such tremendous progress over the last few years."

A council spokesperson added the Children's Social Care Improvement Team is fully funded by the DfE, which means the Norfolk authority - alongside 14 others chosen so far - will be paid for the time it contributes to the programme.

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