Children in care are not receiving a good enough service, according to inspectors.
Somerset Council children's social services have been rated as requiring improvement in three out of four areas looked at by Ofsted, a report published yesterday found.
The inspection found the quality of some services for "very vulnerable children" had "deteriorated" since they were last inspected in 2022. It said most children and family assessments take too long.
Ashley Fox said:
I am disappointed that Children's Services has gone backwards during the four years that the Liberal Democrats have been running Somerset Council.
The Liberal Democrats inherited a Children's Services department from the Conservatives that was rated Good by Ofsted in 2022. Four years later, Ofsted has downgraded the service to Requires Improvement in most aspects and found that some services for vulnerable children have deteriorated.
What makes this report more difficult to understand is that Children's Services is spending £80 million more a year than it was in 2022. Residents will rightly expect that level of investment to lead to better outcomes for children, not poorer ones.
This is not a criticism of the dedicated social workers, foster carers and frontline staff who work tirelessly to support children and families across Somerset. The questions raised by this report are for the Liberal Democrats responsible for leading and overseeing the service.
The council must focus on addressing Ofsted's concerns and delivering the improvements needed to ensure that every child in Somerset receives the help, protection and opportunities they deserve.
