CHILDREN’S services at Warrington – slammed as “inadequate” only two years ago – have won praise for a second time from education watchdogs Ofsted.
Inspectors now say the council has taken robust action to tackle problems and that progress has been rapid.
Last month, the borough council’s education and young people’s services received a much-improved annual 
assessment from Ofsted.
They said the council was “performing well” and had made significant progress over the last two years.
But just days after receiving the improved assessment, the council was again visited by the watchdog.
Inspectors visited the council’s contact and referral assessment team and during their time in the town they examined records and talked to staff, mangers and other support workers.
Now Ofsted says the council has taken robust action since the last inspection to tackle the identified areas for development.
Lead inspector Gary Lamb said: “Progress has been rapid and child protection services have been strengthened.
“The areas for priority action identified in the previous inspection of contact referral and assessment arrangements in June 2009 have all been addressed.”
Kath O’Dwyer, (right) executive director of children and young people’s services at the council said: “We have been on a long journey of improvement and I am very pleased with the results of this inspection. As well as it being a reflection of the work our children’s services staff carry out every day, it shows that Warrington’s most vulnerable children and young people really are getting the care and support they need.” 
Cllr Colin Froggatt, (left) the council’s executive member for children and young people’s services said: “This positive report is testament to the dedication, enthusiasm and professionalism of our staff. However there is always more we can do and our determination to make further progress remains as great as ever.”
Ofsted says there are still some areas for further improvement,
including case file recording, management guidance and direction, and
performance management and audit activity. However improvements have been observed and are continuing.
Key areas of provision remain only satisfactory. For early years and
childcare, only one third of childminders are satisfactory, as they were last
year. This is below the average in similar areas and nationally.
Four of 12 secondary schools, four secondary sixth forms and a recently inspected children’s centre are also satisfactory as are the local authority’s fostering and adoption agencies which were both inspected in 2010.
Two primary schools are inadequate – but Ofsted says they are strong
support from the local authority in helping it to address serious
weaknesses and in improving teaching and learning.
Ofsted says the attainment gap between low-income families and the better off are wider than in similar areas or nationally.
At age 16, more young people from low-income families are gaining at least five A* to C grades at GCSE but the gap between this group and the rest shows little sign of closing.
The full report can be read on the Osted website, www.ofsted.gov.uk/local-authorities/warrington
8 Comments
Well done Cath it’s been a tremendous and tough job that you and your team have done and continue to do.
I sense some irony here, locally a Labour administration inherits an improving Council from a Lib Dem/Tory shared administration, and nationally a Tory/Lib Dem Coalition Government inherits a clapped out economy from a Labour Government.
looking from afar…didnt we get that rank of the “worst town” for its council services under that Lib Dem/ Tory administration……when your the worst you can only improve cant you……??
and on the clapped out Economy when you look at the plight of our European Neighbours I think we could have been in a far worse situation under a different government dont you think….??
The lousy council services had been inherited, by the libdem/tories, after long term mismanagement by labour – the present labour mob are now reaping the rewards of what the Libdem/Tories achieved.
Shouldn’t we all be happy there has been a marked improvement in this vital service, however and whoever achieved it? I would far rather have a council where everyone from whatever party is working for the overall benefit of the community (in this case the people of Warrington) and sharing in the benefits of their collective efforts. Rather than one in which either side is sniping at each other, trying to make capital out of the other’s woes or winners.
Well Done to Kath Odwyer and all her Team, she has done exactly what she was brought in for.
What including the mismanagement of the planning department, children services and the awarding of huge pay rises to senior officers while slashing services? They are all as bad as each other and the reason you can’t see where one ends and another begins is because it is officers who run the council while councillors look on and say and do nothing. I don’t blame individual councillors for this situation, but there is an abject lack of true democracy in this town precisely because it is being run by people we don’t vote for and who are not accountable for their actions. The elections are there clearly to make it look like our votes matter.
…and a quick PS. Well done to the team of officers who have turned this department around.