Ofsted Highlights Positive Progress in Children and Young People’s Services

Liverpool City Council’s Children and Young People’s Services has received positive feedback from Ofsted following their latest monitoring visit.

Over two days in December 2024, inspectors focused on the Care Leaving Service and the lives of care-experienced young people, particularly those receiving support in care and transitioning to adulthood. Inspectors also spoke directly to care-experienced young people to hear their views firsthand.

In their fourth monitoring visit, detailed in the full report here, inspectors acknowledged the service’s ongoing progress.

They praised the “enthusiasm” and “tenacity” of staff in building relationships and providing support to care-experienced young people and recognised that increased capacity, with additional managers and personal advisors, has resulted in more manageable caseloads. 

Inspectors also found strong evidence of support being offered to young people, including young parents, those in custody, and those in temporary accommodation. 

Other findings include: 

  • Personal advisors are now being allocated before young people turn 18, with some as early as 17 ½ years old. 
  • Young people reported feeling safe and supported in their accommodation. 
  • The ‘local offer’ for care-experienced young people has been developed and is now accessible. 
  • Strengthened efforts to support young people at risk of becoming Not in Education, Employment, or Training (NEET) reflect the commitment of multiple agencies. 

While inspectors recognised the progress made, they also identified areas for further development including: 

  • Permanent Housing remains a challenge.
  • Pathway planning and the roles of social workers, carers, and independent reviewing officers need to strengthened to better prepare young people for adulthood. 
  • Improved coordination is needed to ensure clarity in who is responsible for supporting young people through their transitions and how this support is delivered. 
  • A new system to help young people understand their health histories needs further embedding. 

Councillor Liz Parsons, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, said: “The positive feedback from Ofsted is to be warmly welcomed and reflects the huge amount of work going on to improve services for young children in our care.

“This report aligns with our own assessment, affirming that Liverpool is heading in the right direction. While there is still work to be done, the latest visit confirms that the steps we are taking are making a real difference. 

“We want to thank the young people who shared their experiences with inspectors and the incredible teams who worked tirelessly during this visit. This progress is a testament to their hard work, dedication, and teamwork.” 

Jenny Turnross, Corporate Director for Children and Young People’s Services, said:  “As a service, we remain committed to driving further improvements to ensure that Liverpool’s care-experienced young people receive the support they need to thrive. “Together, we are building a better future for all children and young people in Liverpool.”

Liverpool Waterfront