Last month the Isle of Wight council’s children in need services received a focused visit from Ofsted inspectors, the outcome of which appears positive.
The previous service inspection, which took place in October 2023, found the council’s services for children in need was rated as “Good”.
This latest focused visit noted that since the last inspection the council’s partnership with Hampshire’s Children’s Services has come to an end. The inspector reported,
The ending of the partnership has brought challenges as well as opportunities, but significant political and corporate support and investment have enabled an increase in capacity in children’s services and provided the opportunity to improve the quality of practice.
“Strong political and strategic support”
Whilst some required improvements are highlighted in the report, overall the feedback is very positive. The inspector reports,
“Strong political and strategic support for this work has meant that key infrastructure, such as the in-house data and insights team, has been built at pace.
“Subsequent investment has led to increased management capacity in the support and protection service. Although early days, the workloads of some staff are starting to reduce, with some social workers being able to spend more time with families.
“Leaders are visible and approachable and embody their vision of ‘making change together’ with the workforce.
“Staff report that senior leaders are inspiring and that their approach is refreshing. They feel very much engaged in the transformation that is taking place.
“All staff who spoke to inspectors were highly complimentary about working in children’s social care services on the Isle of Wight. They described a warm and welcoming culture, where they feel cared about, respected and valued.”
Read the report
You can read the report in full below.
