The purpose of this report is to present cabinet with the outcome of the Inspection of Local Authority Children Services (ILACS) that took place 10-21 November 2025 and was published 12^th January 2026.

Councillor Powell, cabinet member for children and young people introduced the report. 

The Cabinet received a report outlining the outcome of the Ofsted inspection of Children’s Services, which awarded an overall judgment of Good, with all service areas rated Good and the impact of leaders on social work practice judged Outstanding. This was described as a significant achievement for Herefordshire, reflecting the work of practitioners, managers, elected members and partners in delivering the improvements set out in the Children’s Services and Partnership Improvement Plan.

Ofsted found that children’s services are treated as a high priority by the council and praised the visible and effective leadership of the Corporate Director, whose aspirational and child?focused approach has driven rapid improvement. The report highlighted that, at the time of her appointment in July 2024, permanent social worker levels were low (29%), and the pace of change had been a concern; permanent staffing has since risen to around 70%.

Key strengths identified by Ofsted included:

• A strong culture that places children at the centre of service delivery.
• Mature and effective partnership working that has improved quality and consistency.
• Successful workforce stabilisation, supported by nurturing and visible leadership.
• A comprehensive quality assurance framework enabling a clear understanding of practice and impact.
• Effective early help, well?considered assessments, and appropriate application of safeguarding thresholds.
• Skilled practitioners supporting children to remain with or return to their families where appropriate.
• A strong multi?agency response to children at risk of exploitation.
• Good support and training for foster carers, including kinship carers.
• A robust service for care leavers, supported by dedicated personal advisers.

Two areas for development were noted: management oversight of the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) function and identification/assessment of children in private fostering arrangements. Ofsted acknowledged that improvement plans were already in place.

The Cabinet Member expressed thanks to the Director of Children’s Services, the children’s workforce, partners, scrutiny members, the Chief Executive and the Leader for their contribution. Appreciation was also extended to families who provided feedback, with 85% reporting they felt able to share their views and 83% confirming the council’s intervention made a positive difference.

Significant improvement was also reported in financial performance: following £10.8m investment in 2024/25, the directorate delivered £2.5m savings last year, is forecast to deliver £3.9m this year, and has proposed £2.7m savings for next year. An underspend of £2.7m was also delivered, totalling £12.5m in savings and underspends over two years.

Comments from cabinet members:

It was highlighted that the Ofsted outcome demonstrates it is possible to deliver high?quality, high?value services while also achieving savings. Thanks were expressed to the Director of Children’s Services, the leadership team and the workforce for their dedication and the significant improvements delivered for children and families in Herefordshire. It was noted that the combination of strong technical grip, such as effective performance management, and a compassionate, child?centred approach had driven a remarkable turnaround. Members praised the substantial improvement in recruitment and expressed confidence that the service is now  ...  view the full minutes text for item 69