THE Children’s Services at Gloucestershire County Council has been judged as Good with Outstanding elements in its most recent inspection by Ofsted.

The inspection took place from June 9 to June 20 and found the council’s Children’s Services to be Good in its overall effectiveness, with judgments of Outstanding in two of four categories, and good in the remaining two categories.

Services showed significant improvement since the last full inspection when they were judged to require improvement in 2022. Ofsted found that ‘children in care experience exceptional care and support’ and that those who need help and protection ‘benefit from high-quality, effective early help services’.

Cllr Ben Evans, Cabinet Member for Children's Safeguarding and Care at Gloucestershire County Council, said: “I am delighted that our Children’s Services have been judged Good by Ofsted and that it is a marked improvement since the 2022 inspection.

“The systems that have been put in place will allow us to continue to improve and deliver consistently positive outcomes for all children and young people in Gloucestershire.”

The experiences and progress of children in care was judged to be Outstanding by inspectors. They found that ‘children enter care at the right time and live in stable homes where they are well supported, and their needs are met’.

Ann James, Director of Children’s Services at Gloucestershire County Council, said: “This has been a team effort, with dedicated practitioners, managers, partners and elected members all pulling together for our most vulnerable children and families. I am proud that inspectors could see the impact of the improvements we have made.

“I would like to pay tribute to the staff within the service who have worked tirelessly to help us achieve this outcome. We are committed to continuing to improve our Children’s Services.”

The full inspection report is available online.