City makes progress in safeguarding children

Provision in Leeds was rated “inadequate” during the last full inspection of safeguarding children services in July 2009, leading to a government improvement notice and the setting up of an independent improvement board.

The recent Ofsted inspection, which took place last month, found five of nine measures assessed are now “good”, with the other four rated as adequate. None was classed as inadequate. The city’s overall effectiveness in ensuring children are safe is “adequate”, with the “capacity to improve” further rated as “good”.

Coun Judith Blake, executive board member for children’s services, said: “This report is very reassuring and confirms that the changes we have put in place really are already making a huge difference to the well-being and safety of children in Leeds, something reflected by the fact that the inspectors did not identify any children left at potential risk of harm, and no cases they reviewed were deemed to be inadequate.”