Council-run children’s services have improved significantly, despite workforce shortages compounding difficulties in education and social care, according to Ofsted.
Its annual report, published last month, shows that 56 per cent of the 150 inspected councils in England were graded good or outstanding overall. This had increased from just more than a third (36 per cent) after each council’s first inspection under the previous inspection framework.
The 2021/22 annual report describes the extent to which education and children’s social care have recovered since the pandemic.
It found that, while there is much to be commended, ensuring this generation of children and young people get the education, training, care and opportunities they need remains “a work in progress”.
Cllr Louise Gittins, Chair of the LGA’s Children and Young People Board, said: “It is positive that this report recognises significant improvements from councils in providing children’s services, despite the many challenges they face in the education, early years and children’s social care sectors.
“This will, however, be extremely difficult to maintain without government action.”
She called for adequate funding and for worsening workforce shortages in children’s social care to be addressed, and for early years entitlements to be fully funded.
The Government should also publish its responses to the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) Green Paper and the Independent Review of Children’s Social care, in light of the increasing demand for council-run SEND support, Cllr Gittins added.
More than 473,000 children and young people had an education, health and care plan in England last year, up 10 per cent on the previous 12 months.