Cheshire East Labour Group Welcomes Strong Ofsted Feedback on Continued Improvement in Children’s Services Cheshire East Labour Group has welcomed the latest Ofsted monitoring letter, which recognises the significant and sustained progress being made in improving services for care leavers across the borough. Ofsted inspectors have highlighted clear improvements in the quality, consistency and responsiveness of support, alongside stronger leadership and oversight. The findings reflect the Council’s determined focus on driving up standards and delivering better outcomes for children and young people. The Ofsted report recognises the strengthened and focused leadership now in place, with a sharp emphasis on improving the quality of practice, alongside more robust quality assurance arrangements that are ensuring progress is both embedded and sustained. Inspectors identified a wide range of strengths, including:
A clear Labour-led commitment to children’s services, backed by significant investment and increased capacity within the service High-quality support for 16 and 17-year-olds, with social workers who know their young people well Trusted relationships between care leavers and their personal advisers, who provide consistent, supportive and informed guidance Independent reviewing officers acting as valued and trusted adults in young people’s lives up to the age of 21 Significantly improved support for care leavers aged 21 and over Care Leaver Ambassadors playing an important role in shaping services Continued improvements in pathway planning, supporting young people’s futures more effectively Stronger outcomes in education, employment and training, with a dedicated team having a clear positive impact and care leavers having access to more opportunities The success of the council’s two care leaver hubs, providing accessible and holistic support A wider range of accommodation options
The report reflects the tangible difference that sustained investment, stable leadership and a clear focus on improvement are making.
Cllr Laura Crane, cabinet member for Children’s Services at Cheshire East Council said, “We are so proud that Ofsted has recognised the real progress being made across Cheshire East for our care experienced children and young people. This latest Ofsted report continues the improvement journey that the Council has made and recognises the strong leadership, sustained investment and the hard work and dedication of our staff. “Most importantly, this report shows that care leavers are receiving better support, that they have stronger relationships and more opportunities to succeed. Our care leaver hubs are making a real difference, giving young people the education, employment and training support they need to succeed. “As a Labour-led council, we have made children’s services a priority, and we are committed to continuing this progress so that every young person leaving care gets the stability, support and opportunities they deserve.” The Labour Group emphasised that, while proud of the progress made, the administration remains focused on maintaining momentum and continuing to strengthen services further over the coming months.
