Key area of Cheshire West and Chester Council’s children’s service has been red flagged by watchdog Ofsted

Oct 28 2010 by David Norbury, Chester Chronicle

CHILDREN in Cheshire are being put in danger by the poor performance of a social work team, according to an Ofsted report.

The report said the unidentified team was ‘failing to adequately manage known risk’ due to a ‘poor level of management oversight’.

Cheshire West and Chester Council’s children’s services department is rated three stars and performing well – but it will be downgraded unless something is done.

Ofsted inspector Gary Lamb told children’s services director Dr John Stephens: “Inspectors identified some cases where there had been a failure to adequately manage known risk and provide effective protection, leaving some children at risk of serious harm.”

On the basis of this one team’s ‘serious weaknesses’, Mr Lamb said the whole service will be judged to be performing poorly unless priority action is taken.

This would rank the service among the worst in the country.

In his overall findings from the second unannounced annual inspection of safeguarding at the council, the inspector also lists the strengths of the service, 10 areas where the requirements are met and six areas for improvement.

The need for priority action is also likely to lead to a further probe.

Dr Stephens said following the reorganisation of local government, which saw Cheshire County Council – which had previous responsibility for children’s services – swept away, the new council had immediately recognised the need to improve its safeguarding service.

“A great deal has been achieved since then and that progress has been recognised by Ofsted inspectors following our second unannounced inspection,” said Dr Stephens.

He stressed that the need for priority action referred to one particular area of his three-star service.

“We had already begun to address some of the concerns highlighted by inspectors,” he said