Ofsted has found improvements at Herefordshire’s children’s services but said more should be done to ensure consistent progress.
In July last year, Ofsted judged the county’s children’s services to be inadequate. After an inadequate rating, inspectors carry out monitoring visits to focus on areas that most need to improve.
The new report follows the inspectorate’s second monitoring visit to Herefordshire, which was made in June this year.
The council’s corporate director for children and young people, Darryl Freeman, said: ‘The inspectors say that “practice is starting to improve and positive progress is being made with some families” but add that the quality of practice in this area remains variable.
‘That is a fair assessment and very much reflects our own analysis of the improvements to date. We know we are on the right path but that the pace of change needs to be quicker and improvements more consistently embedded.
‘Our new partnership with colleagues from Leeds City Council will be a huge help in this regard. The experience and insight they bring – having been on this journey themselves and helped other children’s services too – will be invaluable in building the service we all want to see.’
