West Sussex children's services rated good across all categories

Best performance on record

West Sussex County Council's children's services team has received a 'good' rating from Ofsted in all four assessed areas. This marks the council's best performance to date and reflects substantial improvement from a service that was previously rated 'inadequate'.

The four areas achieving the 'good' rating were the impact of leaders on social work practice with children and families, the experiences and progress of children who need help and protection, the experiences and progress of children in care, and the experiences and progress of care leavers.

Leadership response

Jay Mercer, leader of West Sussex County Council, said: "Achieving a 'good' rating from Ofsted is a significant milestone for the county council and one that everyone involved in should be immensely proud of. This result is a testament to the professionalism, dedication and care shown every day by our children's services staff, who work tirelessly to support some of the most vulnerable children, young people and families in West Sussex."

Sam Raby, cabinet member for children, young people and learning, added: "From our schools and children's homes to our fostering service, SEND teams and so much more, I'm thrilled to say West Sussex County Council's children's services are 'good' across the board."

Key improvements noted

The Ofsted report highlighted improvements in how the council helps and protects children, the quality of care leaver support and the effectiveness of multi-agency safeguarding. Inspectors identified areas for continued development, including better consideration of culture and heritage for children entering care and improvements in transition planning for children approaching adulthood.

The inspection took place between 7 and 25 September, with Ofsted gathering evidence from staff, children, families, carers, teachers and partner organisations.

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