Members of Knowsley’s Children Scrutiny Committee were updated on work to strengthen and enhance support to children and young people in the borough.
The council’s commitment to improve the lives of children and young people in Knowsley has seen a number of significant improvements in Children’s Social Care Services following an Ofsted inspection in 2021 when the services were rated as “Requires Improvement to be Good”.
This led to the introduction of an Inspection Improvement Plan and a follow-up visit by Ofsted in 2022 found that ‘children in Knowsley have benefited from a more effective range of support and services.’
Progress Made
Since the inspection, Knowsley Council has introduced a number of improvements. These include:
- Investing an additional £3.7 million to support social work services.
- Strengthening support for care leavers, including a dedicated strategy and improved access to housing, education, and employment opportunities.
- Enhancing assessments for children in need, with a focus on domestic abuse situations.
- Expanding the Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub with an independent domestic abuse advocate.
- Enhancing specialist services for children at risk of exploitation.
A range of further improvements were also highlighted during a recent Ofsted visit focusing on the Council’s arrangements for care experienced people (care leavers). Read more here.
Knowsley Council’s Children with Disabilities Team
The Children with Disabilities Team supports children and young people with various needs. The team works collaboratively with families, partners, and other agencies to provide comprehensive care packages, including:
- Direct payments for families to access support options.
- Respite care to provide breaks for caregivers.
- Support with education, health, and community services.
- Transition planning for young adults moving into adulthood.
Next Steps
The council is currently developing a new plan for 2024/25, focusing on:
- Enhancing the quality of children’s plans to ensure better outcomes.
- Strengthening supervision practices for social workers.
- Improving the effectiveness of the quality assurance function within Children’s Services.
Read the full report here