Liverpool’s children’s services have been praised for the significant improvements made since 2023. Ofsted has now judged Liverpool’s services to be “Good”.
This represents a radical change from just three years ago, when the previous inspection reached a judgement of “inadequate”.
The report highlights how services for children and families are now “better and safer”, with inspectors recognising the council’s focused efforts to address previous areas for concern and deliver measurable change.
The City Council was rated “Good” on the impact of leaders on social work practice, the experiences and progress of children who need help and protection, and the experience and progress of children in care. Ofsted reached a finding of “requires improvement to be good” on the experiences and progress of care leavers. In 2023 Ofsted had found Liverpool’s services to be “inadequate” in four out of five measures.
Ofsted praised Liverpool’s “relentless improvement journey” and observed how areas for improvement had been addressed with “rigour and pace”, resulting in “tangible improvements across all areas of practice.”
Inspectors also praised the impact of the council’s leadership team, noting that since the 2023 inspection, they “recognised the need for change and acted without delay to implement improvement plans” adding that “senior leaders have had a significant transformational impact across services but remain clear that momentum must be maintained to ensure consistently high-quality practice for every child.”
Other key improvements identified by Ofsted include:
• Children are seen promptly, with immediate safety plans put in place where required
• Children’s wishes and feelings are clearly captured and meaningfully inform assessments and planning
• The quality of assessments is now strong, with thorough and proportionate consideration of family history and risk
• A clear and consistent focus on safeguarding and securing positive outcomes for children and young people
• The workforce has shifted from being predominantly temporary to majority permanent staff
• Workloads have been reduced, allowing practitioners to build meaningful relationships with children and families
• Social workers report feeling well supported and appropriately challenged by managers, with morale described as “high”
• Progress has been underpinned by additional financial investment, strong corporate and political leadership, and active oversight from senior council leaders.
Ofsted noted some further priorities for continued improvement, including: the response to children who present as homeless and to those living in private fostering arrangements; the quality of pathway plans for care leavers; and the response to care leavers who are not in employment, education, and training.
This latest judgement is further evidence of significant improvements at Liverpool City Council, including a “Good” assessment of its adult social care services, improvements in resident satisfaction, and the end of all forms of external intervention by government.
The report is now available to read in full on the Ofsted website.
Cllr Liam Robinson, Leader of Liverpool City Council, said:
“Three years ago, I promised we would fix our Children’s Services department, and we have delivered on that pledge. This has been a whole team effort, from the political and managerial leadership of the council, down to frontline staff and our partners who have been with us every step of the way.
There is nothing more important than keeping our children safe and it is clear from Ofsted’s report that we have made major strides since 2023, delivering real improvements for young people.”
Cllr Liz Parsons, Cabinet Member for Children’s Social Services with Liverpool City Council, said:
“I’m delighted that the hard work and dedication of everyone in Children’s Services has been recognised by Ofsted.
“We are absolutely committed to making Liverpool the best place for children to grow up and this recognition from Ofsted is a testament to the journey we’ve been on.”
Jenny Glennard, Corporate Director of Children and Young People’s Services at the city council, said:
“I am very proud of our workforce, our schools and our partners who work tirelessly to support the children of the city. There is always more to do, we will continue to build on this progress.
“Most importantly, it reflects a shift towards truly listening to children and young people and ensuring their voices drive improvement throughout our service.
“We are proud but never satisfied, and we know that improvement is a continuous journey – and our ambition is to make our services the best in the country.”
