Fewer children are re-entering care in Blackpool thanks to improvements in intervention, new figures have shown.
The re-referral rate had been 33 per cent in 2022, but has now reduced to 22 per cent which is in line with the national average of 21 per cent and the north west average of 22 per cent.
The figures were revealed to a meeting of the council’s Children and Young Persons Scrutiny Committee which heard Ofsted inspectors had visited the department earlier in November.
This was part of a three week Joint Targeted Area Inspection (JTAI) by Ofsted, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS).
Chris Coyle, assistant director of Children’s Services, said the theme of the inspection was partnership, with the JTAI looking closely at how agencies including the council, the NHS, the police, social workers, probation workers and schools worked together to protect vulnerable children.
Mr Coyle said partnership working had been identified as an area of improvement at the most recent Ofsted inspection, and the JTAI had validated the work undertaken to improve this area of practice, which would be reassessed at the forthcoming Ofsted inspection due in 2025.
After the last Ofsted inspection of Children’s Services in December 2022, the overall service was rated as ‘requires improvement’, but included a ‘good rating’ for the experiences of children in care and care leavers.
Previous to that the department was rated ‘inadequate’ in 2018, prompting an investment of £4m in additional social workers and an overhaul of many working practices.
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