Approved plan aims to transform Herefordshire Children’s Services

Herefordshire Council Cabinet approved an action plan to improve Herefordshire’s Children’s Social Care Services at a meeting held on Thursday 15 December 2022.

The detailed action plan aims to transform Herefordshire Children’s Services and improve the outcomes for children and young people across the county.

The plan sets out how the council is addressing each of the areas identified for improvement by Ofsted after its review of the service in July 2022, and a tenth area identified during a recent LGA SEND Peer Review.

The Herefordshire Children’s Services Improvement Plan will be submitted to Ofsted by 20 December 2022.

Herefordshire Council’s Director of Children’s Services, Darryl Freeman, said:

“This improvement plan shows how committed we are to improving outcomes for Herefordshire children and building a Children’s Services of which children, young people, their families and the whole county can be proud.

“A huge amount of the improvement work is already under way in response to the Ofsted inspection and the LGA Peer Review findings and as part of our own improvement programme and change is happening at pace.

“We will continue to work towards strengthening our services in every area until we have made significant and lasting improvements to the support we offer families.”

Councillor Diana Toynbee, Cabinet Member for Children and Families, added:

“I’m very pleased to have this plan approved by cabinet and the council can now move forward and submit it to Ofsted.

“Thanks to everyone’s participation we now have a plan that will focus clearly and relentlessly on providing the best support possible for children and families in Herefordshire.”

Herefordshire Children’s Services was rated inadequate following an Ofsted inspection in July this year and the council given three months to prepare an action plan in response.

Additional note:

The Herefordshire Children's Services Improvement Plan was approved by cabinet with the agreed amendments made by the Children and Young People Scrutiny Committee on Tuesday 13 December 2022. An updated version of the improvement plan that includes the minor changes will be submitted to Ofsted next week and will be published on the council’s website.


 

 

Published: 16th December 2022