Child protection services ‘strong’ in Hackney despite ‘workforce challenges’, Ofsted finds

Hackney Town Hall

Children in need of protection are getting a “strong” service in Hackney, according to Ofsted.

Inspectors for the education watchdog spent two days in the council’s children’s department to examine its work on child protection, how referrals are handled, and out-of-hours care.

They reported: “Most children receive proportionate responses that meet their needs.”

They also found that “action for children at immediate risk is timely and effective”.

However, they said “workforce challenges” caused some delays, with a number of children and families having to wait too long for work on their cases to start.

Inspectors said caseloads were “too high” in the access and assessment team and for newly qualified staff.

“Backlogs” in writing up assessments and getting them signed off also meant some staff felt they did not have time to go to training.

But the inspectors added: “Despite these delays, no children were found to be left without help and support.”

Councillor Anntoinette Bramble, cabinet member with responsibility for children’s social care, said: “Our absolute priority to recruit and retain the very best workers within the service so caseloads and delays in the timeliness of a minority of assessments can be improved.”

She added: “Our services to help and protect children are some of the most important we run. We’re very pleased that Ofsted inspectors recognised that we are self-reflective, know ourselves well, and give effective support for children.”

Jacquie Burke, the Town Hall’s group director for children and education, said the team was praised for recovering from a cyber attack, the pandemic, and the Child Q scandal that saw a Hackney teenager strip-searched at school.

This year’s inspection followed a visit in 2021 which found that children’s wishes, feelings and experiences needed to be included in case records and reports.

Inspectors had also called for improvements in written records but praised staff’s “resilience and resourcefulness” in the face of the pandemic.