Consistently good: that’s the verdict on Children’s Services in Hampshire

Hampshire County Council’s Children’s services department is rated consistently good across all areas according to the Annual Performance Assessment for 2008 carried out by Ofsted. The government inspectors also report that children and young people who live in the county say it is a good place to live, work and study.

The department was judged on areas of its work which relate to the five outcomes of the Children Act and Every Child Matters agenda: ensuring all children and young people stay healthy, safe, enjoy and achieve, make a positive contribution to their communities and achieve economic wellbeing.  It was judged ‘good’ in all these areas and was also given an overall ‘good’ grade for the effectiveness of its services and its capacity to improve.

The Ofsted report into Hampshire County Council’s Children’s Services notes that the department consistently delivers good services and has made good progress in responding to previous recommendations by Ofsted. It is narrowing the gap between the outcomes of the most vulnerable groups and all children and young people and its capacity to improve still further is good.

The report highlights consistently above average educational attainment across all levels of the curriculum.  Health promotion work is well targeted and in excess of government targets. There is good and innovative support to families to prevent care and support placements and good proactive and effective work by the Local Safeguarding Children Board.

It also notes that there is a strong culture of participation by, and consultation with, children and young people including those who are often hard to reach and vulnerable. The views and opinions of children and young people have made a discernable difference to services. The report goes on to say: “Children are actively engaged and believe the county is a good place in which to work, live and study.”

Strong partnership working is also praised along with the department’s clear focus particularly on improving the lifechances of the most vulnerable children and young people.

Areas for development identified include improving the life opportunities for looked after children. The department has already implemented measures to address these issues including recruiting additional foster carers, recruiting six additional Education Welfare Officers appointed to work specifically on improving the attendance at school of looked after children and providing any school which has looked after children with  £500 per child, per school term, to make additional provision for their education.