Local authorities awarded top Ofsted rating for unprecedented third time

Westminster City Council and Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (RBKC) Children’s Services have been rated outstanding by Ofsted for the third time in a row, a feat never achieved before.

In re-awarding the top rating previously handed out in 2015 and 2019, inspectors concluded that young people receive “excellent” services that make a “significant difference” to their lives, praising investment in services and implemented a coherent strategy to help children at the earliest opportunity.

Inspectors visited the children’s services, provided jointly by the bi-borough comprising Westminster Council and RBKC, in November 2024, finding a “strong response to children at risk of exploitation, with decisive interventions reducing risk for the vast majority of children.”

The inspection report outlines several strengths, including the dedication from social workers to inform their practice with children’s views and aspirations, their prompt responses to risk, and their tireless efforts to help children remain with their families.

Social workers were specifically commended in the report for their highly skilled responses to risk for children, particularly how they and other council staff support children and families who have experienced domestic abuse.

Bijal Shah, a front-line worker who was interviewed by Ofsted as part of the inspection, said: “When you get a message from a young person, they reach out to you to say thank you for that help, or Happy Christmas or Happy New Year, it makes you feel you’re really making a difference, which is what it’s all about. I’m so proud to have been part of this inspection and a part of this team.”

Where children are in the council’s care, the report finds that they receive excellent support from caring social workers who understand the child’s needs and work collaboratively with them to ensure they have the best chances to progress.

The report also highlights the high quality of care provided by the council for disabled children, including timely assessments of their needs, followed by comprehensive support packages tailored to meet those needs with consideration for cultural diversity and other influencing factors. Additionally, staff were praised for their efforts to assist disabled children and their families in accessing advocacy services.

The councils were also sponsors of the 2023 CJF London, where they shared some of their good practice with delegates. A session from Jackie Carribon, Head of Social Work for Families, shared how the authority had learnt to use a model of Systemic Social Work to collaborate and engage with families, while another session discussed how the councils were ‘building an anti-racist workforce’.

The council said that, in light of the ongoing pressures families face following the pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis, there has been an increasing demand for social care support. Social workers are often working with children and parents to address a range of complex issues, including school attendance, mental health, well-being, and domestic abuse.

“Since the pandemic, the number of children and families needing the support of social care has increased,” Sarah Newman, Director of Bi-borough Children’s Services, said. “Despite this, teams across Children’s Services have adapted and not faltered on their level of quality and care.

“We can't do what we do by working in isolation, so it’s important to recognise the collaboration and contribution of other services; our fantastic schools and the voluntary and community sector.”