Setting

Summary report for children and young people

The purpose of the inspection is to look at how well the council and other organisations help and protect children and young people to be safe from harm and to be well cared for.

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Summary report for children and young people

Overall we rated Shropshire as adequate for how effective child protection services are. All of our grades are explained in the table below:

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Summary report for children and young people

Outstanding A service that is significantly better than required at keeping children and young people safe Good A service that is better than required at keeping children and young people safe Adequate A service that is doing what is required to keep children and young people safe Inadequate A service that is not doing what is required to keep children and young people safe

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Summary report for children and young people

Here is a summary of the things we found at the inspection that were generally adequate or good and the things we told the Director:

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Summary report for children and young people

Senior managers in Shropshire children’s services and in other agencies, such as the police and health, are alert to the needs of children and young people and keep safeguarding at the top of their thinking. They are finding new ways to listen to children and young people more in planning and through learning from complaints and comments made.

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Summary report for children and young people

Staff working with children and young people in Shropshire are finding ways to help and support families at early stages. Some good services are available to offer this help such as children’s centres and housing projects and new services are being planned. Staff, including health visitors, teachers, social workers and others work well together to offer advice and help.

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Summary report for children and young people

Social workers in Shropshire who are working with children and young people usually find out what children and young people think and feel and what needs to happen to keep them safe. Various tools are being used to help children and young people to explain how they feel. Some of this information from children and young people is being used by senior managers to help plan services.

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Summary report for children and young people

Inspectors met with some parents who had received help and support. They said they understand why social workers are visiting and think the help given has been useful to them and their children and young people. In this way parents report things are better at home and relationships with their children are improved.

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Summary report for children and young people

Young people who have been homeless told inspectors that they received help at the right time and felt well supported. Most were now thinking positively about their lives, were involved with further education and training or planning careers.

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Summary report for children and young people

Here is a summary of the things we found at the inspection that needed improving and the things we told the Director:

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Summary report for children and young people

Some of the arrangements for dealing with initial contacts need to be tightened. This includes case recording and setting out in clear ways what needs to be done in plans.

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Summary report for children and young people

Children and young people should play a more active role within the Local Safeguarding Children’s Board so their views are always heard and understood.

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Summary report for children and young people

Some plans to help children and young people feel safe are closed too soon and before all the important facts are known. More could be done to look at what has happened in the past in families to see if concerns have completely gone away.

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Summary report for children and young people

Managers in children’s services need to make sure they agree all the plans and say why in writing. This is to make sure everyone, including children, young people, parents and carers are clear about what is expected of them.

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Summary report for children and young people

The full inspection report was published on 8 January 2013. The council will now prepare a plan to show how they will improve things. It will also say when they are going to talk to children and young people about what they are going to do and which groups they are going to talk to.

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Summary report for children and young people

If you would like to look at the full inspection report you can find this at

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Summary report for children and young people

http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/local-authorities/shropshire

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