Liverpool’s children and young people are at the heart of the city’s ambitions, and this week’s ‘Good’ Ofsted judgement for Children’s Services marks a significant milestone in that journey. In this blog, Cllr Liz Parsons, Cabinet Member for Children’s Social Services, reflects on the transformation of the service over the past three years, the investment made in staff and families, and why the city remains committed to building an even brighter future for its youngest residents.
“When I became Cabinet Member for Children’s Services just over three years ago in the wake of an ‘inadequate’ rating from Ofsted, I sat down, in the autumn, with our new Corporate Director, Jenny Glennard, and we agreed that it would be a 3-to-5-year journey to get to delivering really good services.
“Last week’s “Good” judgement for Children’s Services reflects the remarkable progress that we have made.
“Being branded ‘inadequate’ is much more than just a few negative news headlines. It floors the entire workforce, and so a lot of what we had to do, aside from fixing the structural things and strengthening the team, was to lift morale and show our teams that it wasn’t a direct reflection on them. Our staff are passionate and invested in our children and we needed to recognise and value that commitment.
“We did that by investing in the workforce, hiring new social workers to reduce caseloads, investing in training and development, delivering visible leadership and improving communication.
“The inspection recognised the relentless pace and scale of change across the service, highlighting “tangible improvements across all areas of practice” that have been achieved for some of Liverpool’s most vulnerable children.
“This achievement is not the result of one initiative alone. It reflects a city-wide commitment to ensuring that children and young people are at the heart of decision-making and have the support they need to thrive.
“Ofsted recognised several key improvements that have been made since our last inspection in 2023, one of which is that we’ve made a huge shift in our workforce from predominantly temporary agency workers to permanent staff. This is hugely important – you wouldn’t staff a school with supply teachers, and you can’t do it with social work. Staff need time and space to build relationships with the children in our care to earn their trust.
“We spent a lot of time in the early days going to social work recruitment events to sell our vision of Children’s Services. And it has paid dividends. We have gone from four out of five staff being agency workers in 2023 to 16% today. This really is bucking the national trend when councils across the country are struggling with a recruitment crisis. Delivering such a drastic change here in Liverpool really has made all the difference.
“It means children and young people have consistency with the professionals who are supporting them, rather than having to get to know someone new every few months and having to tell their story all over again. It also shows that professionals have seen the changes in Liverpool and want to be a part of it. We’ve seen large numbers of staff returning who left us before or after the last inspection, and new faces, and people wanting to start their career with us and really make a difference to children and young people in this fantastic city.
“Investment in early help and family support has also been central to our journey. The city has delivered 12 Family Hubs, providing a one-stop shop for coordinated support services within communities. These hubs help families access the right support at the right time, reducing barriers and strengthening outcomes for children.
“But social care is just one element of our commitment to supporting our young people.
“We are also tackling inequalities through programmes that support health, wellbeing and enrichment. In 2025-26, Liverpool commissioned 85,758 Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) places, benefiting 9,389 children and young people with healthy meals, play opportunities and enriching experiences.
“Free leisure centre passes are now available for all children aged 8-17, supported by more than £5 million of investment in leisure facilities across the city.
“Alongside this, youth service funding has doubled, providing an additional £1 million for community-based youth work.
“And, since 2022, the city has been working towards becoming recognised as a UNICEF Child Friendly City and our Ofsted judgement shows we’re on the right track. This prestigious recognition would acknowledge the measurable progress Liverpool has made in championing children’s rights and creating a city where every child can grow up in an environment that is safe, clean, nurturing and full of opportunity.
“But we are not complacent. We know there’s still more to do for care leavers. We’re working hard to deliver our new Care Leaver’s Hub to ensure they can access the right support for them in a familiar place and ensure they have the tools they need to strive in adulthood.
“A ‘Good’ Ofsted judgement is an important milestone, but the city’s ambition remains clear: to continue improving services, championing children’s rights and ensuring every child has the opportunity to succeed so that, next time we are inspected, we are judged to be one of the best performing services in the country.”
