May 11, 2018 5.05 pm This story is over 70 months old

County council children’s services praised by Ofsted

Also a few areas needing improvements.
Debbie Barnes is head of paid service at Lincolnshire County Council in the absence of a chief executive. Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

Lincolnshire County Council’s services for children in care were praised by Ofsted, but the report also highlighted areas for improvement.

Inspectors carried out a focused visit to children’s services in mid April.

The service was praised for its good quality direct work with children and a strong use of children’s networks of family and friends.

Foster carers’ relationships with children are carefully considered in matching decisions and this was also highlighted in the report.

The report picked out areas for improvement including some children waiting too long for their permanence plans to be progressed.

The report also highlighted that the electronic recording system for children’s social care is slow and improvements are needed in quality assurance systems.

The council said it will target a few areas for improvement.

Debbie Barnes, Director of Children’s Services at Lincolnshire County Council, said: “Throughout the visit inspectors considered a range of evidence, including discussions with social workers, senior managers and independent reviewing officers.

“It provided an opportunity for us to showcase the fantastic work we do to make a difference to the lives of vulnerable children and families in Lincolnshire.

“I’m particularly pleased that inspectors commended the professional attitude of staff who do so much to ensure support for our looked after children is of such high quality.”