'Green shoots' of improvement after children's social services criticised
The department in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole was rated inadequate
The new boss of children's social services in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole has said there are signs of improvement after a damning report.
The department was rated as inadequate by Ofsted in 2020.
New corporate director for the service Cathi Hadley said they are beginning to move forward, but there are multiple problems including staff shortages.
She said there are already signs of the "green shoots" of improvement in some areas but has warned that multiple problems might slow the speed of change everyone wants to see.
Recruitment is being affected by the "inadequate" rating compared to neighbouring Dorset which is rated "good" and Hampshire "outstanding".
More than 30 per cent of the BCP children’s workforce are agency workers, which Ms Hadley warns could leave at a moment’s notice.
The council has attempted to overcome the problem by recruiting from abroad – six staff are currently in the process of joining from Rwanda with another six to follow in April.
A comprehensive "improvement plan" was signed off this week by the council with progress now being closely monitored by a Department of Education improvement adviser.
Senior managers from Hampshire have offered to help guide the process of change.
"We are beginning to move forward…what we have to do is stabilise the service, build solid, really strong foundations on which we can then move forward," the corporate director told Monday evening’s overview and scrutiny committee.
Among the changes which have already taken place is reducing the number of young people in places of multiple occupation, often bed and breakfast.
That has gone down from 14 at the time of the report, to just one, a 21-year-old.
Also being changed is action at, or before the birth of a child likely to be at risk, with reports now being prepared earlier.
The meeting was told that Ofsted mini inspections would start this June with 5-6 of them across the service over a period of 18 months.
Only then, if improvements were being made, would Ofsted carry out another full inspection.
"We are not in a position yet where everybody knows what ‘good’ looks like.
"We need to build the foundations first…we need to have optimism in what we are doing," said the director.