Setting

Report for children and young people about the services they receive in the London Borough of Ealing

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• Being healthy • Staying safe • Enjoying and doing well at school and as they grow up • Making a positive contribution to society • Being successful in whatever they choose to do when they are adults London Borough of Ealing children and young people’s report 2

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Why should I read this?

The law says that inspectors must look at and then report on how well local services serve children and young people in an area. This is called a “review”. Inspectors visited your area recently. You might like to read this, or the full report which you can find on Ofsted’s website, to find out what they had to say.

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What did the inspectors do?

Eight inspectors visited Ealing in January and February 2007 so that they could get a feel of what life is like for children and young people in the area. They:

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What did the inspectors do?

™ talked and listened to a number of children and young people ™ talked with adults working with children and young people (like social workers, teachers, youth workers, nurses, doctors, police officers and councillors) ™ spoke to parents and other people caring for children ™ met with school councils’ representatives and members of the Youth Action Forum ™ heard from the council and other agencies what it thinks about the services it provides for children ™ read a lot of reports ™ visited services in the South Acton neighbourhood to see things for themselves.

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What did the inspectors do?

The inspectors also looked at how well particular children are doing, like those children in council care or those who have a learning difficulty or disability.

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How well are children and young people doing in Ealing?

™ Most children and young people are doing as well and sometimes better, than those in similar areas. ™ Children and young people are generally healthy and they have good access to health services when they need them. ™ Children and young people feel safe at home, in their communities and at school. ™ Children and young people told us that they enjoy school and, in comparison to other areas, more young people in Ealing leave school with qualifications. ™ Children and young people who are looked after by the council are provided with very good support and a high number of them go on to further education at college or to university. London Borough of Ealing children and young people’s report 3

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How well are children and young people doing in Ealing?

™ The council makes very good efforts to consult with children and young people and to seek their views. ™ Children and young people with learning difficulties and/or disabilities are provided with good support to enjoy school. ™ Young people are well prepared for working life and many are involved in employment, education and training, although too many of them are involved in offending behaviour.

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your area?

™ Children and young people feel safe in schools and in the area, but some young people said that, in some areas of Ealing, there are problems with bullying, drugs and crime. ™ Most children and young people said that they enjoy school and they particularly like the after school activities that are provided, although they felt there was not enough to do outside school hours. ™ Children and young people who are looked after by the council said that they were well cared for and encouraged to attend school and achieve qualifications, although they were sometimes not informed quickly enough when they had a change of care worker. ™ There are good opportunities for young people to have a say in how their school is run and also to give their views to the council about the way services are run. Children and young people with learning difficulties and/or disabilities said that “it was very nice to be asked what I thought”.

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in my area?

™ The council and other agencies work well to ensure that children and young people have healthy lifestyles through eating healthy lunches and taking lots of physical exercise. ™ Children and young people are kept safe and protected from abuse. ™ There are lots of opportunities for children and young people to have a say in how their school is run and about how the council provides its services. ™ There is good support to children, young people and their families when they are experiencing problems and need extra help. ™ Schools work hard to ensure that children and young people enjoy school and achieve well. London Borough of Ealing children and young people’s report 4

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in my area?

™ Most children and young people receive good support to move into further education, training or employment.

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What things are not so good for children and young people?

™ Children and young people who are looked after by the council need to be kept informed when they have a change of care worker and they also need to be fully involved in planning for their futures. ™ There is not enough for children and young people to do in the area and there needs to be more activities and places for young people to go. ™ When young people leave school, they need to have more opportunities to undertake apprenticeship work in the area. ™ Too many young people are becoming involved in offending behaviour.

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