City’s care for children ‘adequate’

The one star rating from Ofsted means the Hull Council-run service only meets minimum requirements.

However, a report says the director of children’s services provides “effective leadership”, systems are “operating effectively to identify and protect most children at risk” and the service’s “capacity to improve is good.” Seven of 22 categories were rated “good.”

The report, which followed an unannounced inspection by Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission, comes days after a watchdog ordered the council to pay compensation for “serious” failings over a 14-year-old boy left to live with his mother and her mentally ill partner in a case dating back to 2007.

Director of Children and Young People’s Services John Readman said: “We have recently restructured our services to maximise the resources available to us, with a particular focus on the front line and bringing services together to make it easier for families to get the help they need.

“Our aim now is to continue with these improvements and address the learning points identified by inspectors.”

There are 640 “looked after” children in Hull and 245 who are the subject of child protection plans. The city is considered the 11th most deprived authority in the country.