Ofsted has rated Tower Hamlets’ Children’s Services as ‘Outstanding’ - the highest rating attainable.
The Ofsted report, published on Monday 13 January, found that children in Tower Hamlets receive timely and effective help, and that staff “are ambitious for children, encouraging them to reach their full potential. As a result, children receive excellent support.”
The inspection credits a journey of “relentless drive” and continuous improvement, after the service was rated ‘Good’ five years ago, following on from ‘Inadequate’ just two years prior in 2017.
This rating now places the service amongst the top 20 per cent across local authorities in the country¹.
The report noted outstanding support for children leaving care, with care-experienced children and young people benefitting from “high quality support and a wealth of services” tailored to their needs.
This includes the council taking proactive steps to protect those who have been in care from stigma and discrimination once they leave by making ‘care-experienced’ a protected characteristic in all council decisions. Ofsted cited this in their report, stating that this “positively influences decisions for young people.”
Inspectors praised the “knowledgeable and committed” Children’s Services leadership team, who have a “thorough and accurate understanding of their strengths and areas to further develop, and “have been creative and persistent in developing a culture and environment in which social workers learn and flourish.”
The report also noted that workers “develop their practice in a place of innovation, where everyone has a voice and contributes to the development of the service.”
Lutfur Rahman, Executive Mayor of Tower Hamlets, said:
“We are absolutely thrilled with this Outstanding Ofsted result for our services to children and families.
“This achievement is a testament to the compassion and hard work of our staff, who go above and beyond every day to support children and families in our community.
“It reflects our unwavering commitment to supporting children and young people to get the best possible start in life and protecting those who are most vulnerable.
Cllr Maium Talukdar, Deputy Mayor of Tower Hamlets and Cabinet Member for Education, Youth, and Lifelong Learning, said:
“This Outstanding Ofsted result recognises the exceptional quality of care and support we provide to children and families.
“Our teams have shown incredible resilience and innovation, but this result reflects the dedication of everyone in our community who helps to build a brighter future for children in Tower Hamlets – from our foster carers to our family group experts and all of our partners who have helped us on our journey to Outstanding.
“This result will not make us complacent. We will continue to build on this success to deliver even greater outcomes for our young people.”
Ofsted inspects local authorities against four key areas:
- The impact of leaders on social work practice with children and families
- The experiences and progress of children who need help and protection
- The experiences and progress of children in care
- The experiences and progress of care leavers
The full report is available on the Ofsted website.
Tower Hamlets Council provides a groundbreaking package of support for residents, including children and families.
It is the only local authority in the country to provide universal free school meals for both primary and secondary school children saving a family £550 per year, per child; it has provided more than 2,350 grants to support young people in college and university; and has launched Young TH – a new youth service that will have a venue in every ward.
Notes
Summary findings:
- Strong, Visionary Leadership Senior and corporate leaders in Tower Hamlets demonstrate deep commitment and insight into the needs of children and families. They have prioritised these needs in strategies supported by political and financial investment.
- Effective Quality Assurance and Monitoring The borough’s quality assurance and auditing processes is a "particular strength." These collaborative efforts consistently provide "constructive challenge and purposeful learning.
- Innovation and Creativity Leaders and staff embrace creative thinking to overcome challenges, resulting in "new projects and pilots to develop service provision." A thorough understanding of local communities shapes culturally responsive services, including activities like "female Muslim football" and tailored housing solutions for foster carers.
- Outstanding Care Leaver Support Care leavers benefit from "high-quality support and a wealth of services" tailored to their needs.
- Stable and Skilled Workforce A "committed, stable, skilled, and permanent workforce" underpins the success of children’s services. Social workers flourish in a "culture of high support and high challenge," supported by the borough’s Learning Academy.
- Strong Safeguarding Decisions Safeguarding referrals are handled promptly, with "timely, comprehensive and proportionate" management decisions. Strategy meetings are "rigorous" and include robust input from key partners.
References
1 Ofsted Official Statistics, Local Authority inspection outcomes as of 31 March 2024
Posted on Monday 13th January 2025