Stockport council praised for maintaining ‘good’ quality children’s services during pandemic

Stockport council has been praised by Ofsted for maintaining ‘strong quality’ children’s services during the pandemic. The authority’s children’s services have been rated ‘good’ by the watchdog following an inspection carried out during late March and early April this year.

A new report says the council ‘continues to provide good services for children in need of help and protection and children in care and care leavers’. It also notes how ‘the strong quality of practice and services for families has been maintained, despite the high levels of Covid-19 and an increase in demand across the service’.

“There continues to be a strong early help offer and an increased focus on prevention, early intervention and mental health support for the most vulnerable children and families during the pandemic,” it adds.

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The findings have been welcomed by Chris McLoughlin OBE, the council’s director of children's services.

She said: “We are thrilled to have been awarded a 'Good' by Ofsted. We know each one of our team work so hard to improve the lives of children and families in Stockport, so to be recognised in this way by Ofsted is a fantastic reward. We will strive to build on the outlined areas for improvement and hope to use this result as a foundation for future success."

The report, published on Wednesday, finds that children in care and care leavers both receive ‘very effective support that meets their needs’. It also recognises the council’s ‘strong commitment’ to care leavers, noting that the care leavers forum and the New Belongings project ‘ensure they ‘feel listened to and valued’.

‘Creative initiatives’ such as this were said to