West Sussex children's services makes improvements

Children's services - set to be stripped from council control following a damming government report - have been given a 12-month reprieve.

In 2019 the Department for Education (DfE) found "systemic and prolonged" failures in the West Sussex County Council department.

It recommended a different organisation provided the services for the council.

Since then an Ofsted visit and a commissioner's progress report highlighted "remarkable" improvements.

In a letter to the council DfE Minister Vicky Ford said those reports provided "new evidence of the council's capacity and capability to improve".

She was "encouraged" by new leadership appointments, and what had been achieved since neighbouring East Sussex Council Council was drafted in to support the service.

In his report, commissioner John Coughlan CBE said the progress made by the council was "remarkable in its scope and speed", and "beyond what could have been reasonably expected".

Ofsted inspector Tracey Scott said she found "positive early signs" that improvements were having an impact, even through the Covid-19 pandemic.

Ms Ford added: "Ofsted's letter demonstrates a shift in culture and that the building blocks for improvement are being put in place.

"But, there is still much work to do to address the weaknesses identified in 2019 and bring the standard of service up to the quality that children and families in West Sussex deserve."

Over the next year Mr Coughlan will work with the council and produce another report detailing whether sufficient progress has been made for the service to remain under council control permanently.

Ms Ford added: "There therefore needs to be, over the next 12 months, real determination, effort and energy put into achieving the Council's improvement plan."

If at any point in the next year services are found to deteriorate, the DfT will intervene once more.