Children are safe in our hands

OLDHAM’S work to protect vulnerable children has been praised in a national report.

It is one of 14 local authorities — the only one in the North-West — which are held up as examples of providing good support for front-line social workers in the field of child protection.

The Government watchdog Ofsted says that this results in better protection for children who are in care or potentially at risk at home.

In particular it highlights how Oldham Council carries out assessments of children which have been ordered by a court.

These are done by two social workers who are not directly involved in the case, resulting in “sound decisions” and less criticism of bias.

It is also cheaper and quicker than getting external organisations to carry out the assessments.

Ofsted deputy chief inspector John Goldup said: “Social workers do an incredibly difficult job, often in very stressful circumstances.

“I hope this report will provide valuable insight into the best ways of supporting these front-line staff in their roles as they work to improve the lives of some of our most vulnerable children.”

The report is based on inspection reports, discussions with 245 front-line social workers and managers, and more than 500 staff responses to a questionnaire.

The inspectors also looked in depth at the experiences of 38 children, meeting with some of them and their parents.

The report found that good support for front-line staff helps vulnerable children to have better lives. They are safer, healthier, less anxious, happier, have a better family life and do better at school.

Staff also felt less worried and more confident about the risks they were managing.

This helped them to be more focused, clear sighted and assertive.

Social workers also welcomed the rigorous scrutiny of their performance, which supported rather than undermined their confidence.

Councillor Hugh McDonald, cabinet member for children, young people and families: “We are delighted to see Ofsted highlighting what Oldham Council is doing as an example of best practice for others to follow.

“It is important to note that it’s not only Ofsted which thinks Oldham’s approach is pioneering.

This scheme has also drawn praise from families and the courts about its effectiveness — and that is even more important to us.”