MPs call for 'urgent' action after Ofsted report into council's children’s services

Laura Kyrke-Smith, Callum Anderson, and Emma Reynolds, have written to Bucks Council following the results of a recent Ofsted inspection.

Earlier this month the assessment body published the results of its report into children’s services based on inspections which took place in January and February.

In its findings Ofsted said that the council’s services require improvement to be good.

Ofsted said the council had made progress in assessments and private fostering since the last full inspection of its children’s services in 2021. But, found the council still needed to make some improvements in three of four main categories.

In a joint statement the Mps for Aylesbury, Buckingham and Bletchley, and Wycombe said: “While there have been some improvements, significant concerns remain regarding the safeguarding and support of our most vulnerable children – and we are sure you both will agree that is a shared priority that we do right by them.”

In response to the report, Buckinghamshire’s then council leader, Councillor Martin Tett said he was pleased with the feedback the authority received regarding its fostering programme.

In a statement, the former leader announced plans to improve management and address the criticisms of the council’s children at risk from neglect safeguarding practices. He said: “Our focus will be on enhancing management oversight, improving service quality for children at risk from neglect, refining transition planning for disabled children, addressing pathway plans for care leavers, providing better support for care leavers aged 21+, and increasing the engagement of children and young people in the corporate parenting board.”

It was also announced earlier this month, that the council was producing a ‘detailed improvement plan’ in response to Ofsted’s findings.

In the letter addressed to the new council leader, Councillor Steven Broadbent, and Councillor Adekunle Osibogun, the cabinet member for education and children’s services, the MPs added: “These findings are a cause for concern. They underscore the urgent need for decisive action to ensure every child in Buckinghamshire receives the protection and support they need.”

One criticism within the report reads: “Management oversight and supervision are too variable. While managers are supportive and usually respond to immediate concerns, structured supervision is not always regular enough or sufficiently reflective. This means that, often,

oversight is responding to an incident and does not enable the manager and worker to review plans for children and respond carefully to the more complex situations that children experience.”

Another criticism in the report states: “Management oversight and supervision are too variable. While managers are supportive and usually respond to immediate concerns, structured supervision is not always regular enough or sufficiently reflective. This means that, often, oversight is responding to an incident and does not enable the manager and worker to review plans for children and respond carefully to the more complex

situations that children experience.”

In conclusion the MPs said: “Whilst there has been improvements since the last inspection in December 2021, there is considerably more to be done to ensure every local child gets the support they are entitled to.”