THE council’s recent ‘good’ Ofsted review of its children’s services is a positive result of third-party mutual investment in businesses and charities, a councillor said.
Cumberland Council’s children’s services received an overall rating of ‘good’ in their first inspection by Ofsted since the authority's formation in April 2023.
Within the report, Ofsted said the council has strong leadership and delivers positive outcomes for children in care, but identified areas needing improvement, particularly in responses to neglect and support for older children at risk of homelessness.
Ofsted noted significant political and corporate investment in the new council, with senior leaders creating ‘strong foundations’ for effective social work.
Ofsted praised the establishment of a new social work model known as the Mockingbird model and a culture placing children ‘firmly at the centre of practice’.
It also said the experiences and progress of children in care and care leavers were ‘good’, reflecting timely decisions, stable placements, and strong support networks.
Children in care benefit from thoughtful planning, with an emphasis on maintaining family connections and cultural identity.
Many children reported feeling valued and supported, with access to enriching activities and health services.
Ofsted also commended social workers for their compassion and direct work with children, including life-story projects that help children understand their history and identity.
However, the inspection identified shortcomings in services for children needing help and protection, rated as ‘requires improvement to be good’.
Some children experiencing neglect faced delays in receiving appropriate support.
Return-home interviews for missing children were often untimely, and responses to privately fostered children lacked consistency.
Ofsted also highlighted gaps in guidance for 16- and 17-year-olds presenting as homeless, increasing their vulnerability.
Senior leaders were praised for their clear self-assessment and ambitious improvement plans.
Measures to address identified weaknesses, including training for social workers and stronger quality assurance, are in progress, the report reads.
The council was also commended for its ‘relentless focus’ on improving outcomes, supported by significant financial investment.
Morale among staff is reportedly high, with manageable caseloads and a strong focus on professional development.
Ofsted recognised the council's success in building a stable and skilled workforce despite challenges in recruitment.
But all this was delivered at a time when councils across the UK are relatively underfunded, resulting in recent council tax increases and, in some cases not local to Cumbria, the selling of public assets.
On top of this, recent local government reform (LGR) saw the former county council effectively split in half both geographically and financially.
Martin Birch, director of children and family wellbeing, said one benefit of LGR was being able to deliver services in a much more focused way.
On the financial side, he said: “That does create some difficulties but I think by virtue of what we've done and what we've achieved, it's quite clear that that hasn't made any effect.
“If anything, it's helped us to deliver good for the county.”
Cumberland Councillor Emma Williamson (Kells and Sandwith, Labour) explained how they managed to improve services despite the financial setback.
“The past 18 months have been hugely challenging and what I've seen is a real focus on putting our children at the heart of everything we do by using their experiences and their voices.
“We’ve used that to redesign the way that we deliver things, and one of the things that I've been pleased with is it isn't just the council.”
Cumberland welcomed third-party partners from various backgrounds, from the third sector to statutory partners such as the police and NHS.
“There’s also been a relentless focus around businesses with regards to some of the investment that they can bring into some of our services that are not statutory, which is going to help us get to that ‘outstanding’ grade,” Cllr Williamson added.
But it must be a partnership, she said, whereby the council invests back into those helping the council deliver on its statutory duties.
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“We're going to launch in January a ‘prevention bus’ that's all been externally funded.
“It’s going to prevent people coming into statutory services because we can get into the heart of the community, in particularly rural communities, going out in evenings and weekends to target areas where we might have concerns or worries.
“We might be worried about antisocial behaviour, we might be worried about sexual health and having that support from businesses and the Copeland Community Fund will help us as a council because we've all got a responsibility.
“These are our children, these are our families, we all live here, we all want to see them thrive.”
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