CHILDREN in Luton receive a ‘good’ quality of safeguarding and protection services, an Ofsted and Care Quality Commission report said on Tuesday.
Inspectors found that Luton Borough Council and its partners have made significant progress which is improving outcomes for children and young people.
One in four children in Luton lives in poverty, but results for children and young people from low income families show a clear trend of improvement and are better than those found nationally at the ages of five, 16 and 19.
Martin Pratt, Director of Children and Learning, said: “I am really pleased that Ofsted have recognised the hard work of all agencies to protect Luton’s children and to provide the best life chances for children in our care. I especially want to recognise the contribution of the council’s frontline staff and, of course, the children and young people who it is our privilege to work with. We have made real progress and as the report indicates, we still have more to do. However today I want to say a huge thank you to all concerned.”
Some improvements made include numbers of children missing from home or education are decreasing and the children are found more quickly.
The leadership and management of looked-after children’s services are rated as good by the inspectors, as well as the impact of services to support and improve their economic well-being. The arrangements in place to ensure looked-after children and care-leavers feel safe and opportunities for them to make positive contributions were also evaluated as being good. Inspectors said that a wide range of well co-ordinated early intervention services are contributing to improving outcomes for children, including the newly reconfigured children’s centres. To view the full report visit www.ofsted.gov.uk/local-authorities/luton