Ofsted recognises improvement at Surrey as intervention ends

The government is to end its intervention at Surrey Council after an Ofsted report last month showed progress at the council’s children’s services department.

The move was confirmed in a letter from children’s minister Tim Loughton, who said he was pleased that “significant improvements” had been made in a range of core safeguarding services.

Loughton also confirmed that the improvement notice set up two years ago – following a poor joint area review of all services provided to children in the county – will be lifted.

He said council members and officers “should be proud of the progress made to date”. An Ofsted report in October rated services as “adequate” and showed progress made by the council since 2008 in protecting vulnerable children and young people.

Peter Martin, the council’s cabinet member for children and learning, said: “We have made steady and sustained progress since 2008 and our dedicated staff deserve praise for the big part they have played in making the improvements necessary for this vote of confidence from the minister.

“This clean bill of health shows that the government believes we are successfully providing the people most in need with the care and support they require and we will continue to do all we can to show that the minister’s trust is well placed.

Martin said he recognised that “more still needs to be done” but said staff were determined to bring further improvements. “Our job is to do everything we possibly can to minimise the risks to children,” he said.

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