North Yorkshire has been rated Outstanding in every category under a new and challenging social care inspection framework. It is the first local authority to be given the top accolade for its services for children in need of help and protection. This is absolutely fantastic news. These services are a lifeline to some of the most vulnerable in our society and I want to congratulate and thank all the staff and managers involved who have worked so hard to achieve this. It is great to see North Yorkshire lead the way and I know that they will be preparing to share some of their best practices with other authorities.
In its report Ofsted praised frontline staff and the Council’s Senior leaders for their shared sense of purpose which played a large part in its success. It said that North Yorkshire responds effectively to areas for development with innovative projects which have a tangible, positive impact on the lives of young people.
The Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Children and Families, Nadhim Zahawi MP, said that “local authorities face significant challenges in delivering really effective children’s social care services, but the fact that they are so important to the most vulnerable children locally means that it is essential that they are delivered to a high standard. That North Yorkshire have achieved an outstanding rating demonstrates what can be achieved”.
NY County Council Leader, Carl Les, said that he is “delighted with this result which shows the quality of work done by our excellent managers and social workers on behalf of the young people we serve. Even in difficult times for funding, they have been able to innovate and deliver great successes for those young people. We`ve been asked to share our initiatives with other authorities which we will be pleased to do for the benefit of their young people.”