Barking and Dagenham's child services have received praise from Ofsted for sustained improvements, but the watchdog has also highlighted delays in pre-proceeding processes. The findings were discussed at the Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting on 2 July 2025.
Ofsted noted that progress remains finely balanced within the context of challenging partnership priorities and a complex safeguarding landscape. These challenges include increased demand for services, the increasing complexity of safeguarding for young people, challenges related to special education needs and disability, mental health issues, and struggles with demand and financial cuts among universal partners, as detailed in the council's self-evaluation.
Councillor Jane Jones, Cabinet Member for Children’s Social Care & Disabilities, and Elaine Allegretti, Strategic Director for Children's and Adults, presented the Ofsted update to the committee. The update included feedback from Ofsted's Annual Engagement Meeting (AEM) and the focused visit regarding the council's arrangements for children in need, child protection, and pre-proceedings.
Ofsted's AEM, which took place on 30 April 2025, was positive, with the watchdog noting that the council's self-evaluation for 2024/25 was an honest and accurate reflection of social work practice in Barking and Dagenham. The focused visit, conducted on 26 and 27 March 2025, also yielded positive results. Ofsted noted that since the last inspection in July 2023, leaders have sustained and strengthened practice in some areas. Threshold decision-making for children in need and child protection was reported to be mostly well-applied, ensuring children receive the right support at the right time. Social workers were found to be managing risk appropriately, and they know their children well, with regular and well-recorded visits.
However, Ofsted identified areas for improvement, including the timeliness of pre-proceedings pathways. The report noted that some children are waiting too long before the pre-proceedings process is started, and some experience delays post-decision due to over-reliance on independent social worker assessments. To address this, the council is developing an in-house expert court assessment team to improve timeliness.
Other areas for improvement identified by Ofsted include:
- The effectiveness of direct work and the more consistent use of tools to inform decision-making.
- The focus on safety planning and contingency planning.
- The effectiveness of supervision to inform and support decision-making for children.
Ofsted acknowledged the challenges Barking and Dagenham faces due to significant population growth and mobility, but also recognised that children benefit from a stable and knowledgeable leadership team. The watchdog noted that council leaders and local elected members have prioritised vulnerable children, ensuring progress in the improvement journey. However, Ofsted also reported that this remains finely balanced within the context of challenging partnership priorities and a complex safeguarding landscape
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Work is underway to develop an improvement plan to address the areas identified by Ofsted, integrating it with the existing Ofsted ILACS plan and local area improvement plans. This integration aims to avoid duplication and ensure a cohesive strategy. The plan is expected to be delivered by the end of June 2025.
The Overview and Scrutiny Committee noted the Ofsted update and provided feedback on the self-evaluation and areas for prioritisation in the revised improvement plan.
