Greenwich child protection praised

Families in the London borough of Greenwich will undoubtedly be pleased to hear their children are some of the safest in the capital, with educational authority Ofsted praising child protection services in the area following a two-week inspection.

The body found that a "prompt and appropriate response" was implemented by officials in cases where children may require statutory intervention or were in danger of serious harm, while leadership and governance arrangements were described as "strong" in the report.

An exciting range of services aimed at young people in the area, such as an advice centre called the Point, were also praised for being "particularly effective in targeting interventions to support young people who are homeless, at risk of being homeless or in financial difficulty".

It was also found that the views of young people, as well as their parents, were taken on board by the council and used to directly influence future decisions in the borough, and that good work was being done to reduce the number of school exclusions.

Inspectors noted a close working relationship with the police when services were assessing cases that could pose a risk to children through domestic violence or similar disruptions to family life.

Furthermore, the relationship that was demonstrated between social care workers, schools and agencies in relation to under-achieving children was also praised, as well as the role played by children's centres in offering targeted services and parenting support programmes for the vulnerable.

The ten-day inspection saw five Ofsted members examining key aspects of the way the child protection system functions. They oversaw practice, discussed issues with social workers and children and scrutinised case files.

Where it was found that services were not performing as well as they should be, Ofsted recognised there are clear sanctions in place designed to bring them up to scratch.

Published 30th January, 2013

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