Citys childrens services first to make leap from inadequate to outstanding

Sunderland is only one of 18 local authorities in England currently holding the top rating

A children’s services department has become the first in the country to make the leap from an inadequate rating to outstanding.

The national first makes Sunderland one of only 18 local authorities in England to have the top rating, having gone through a remarkable turnaround in three years.

During an inspection of services earlier in the summer, Ofsted found that children’s services have been transformed and stated they are “making a real difference to children’s lives”.

The watchdog found social work was of consistently high quality and “relentless” in significantly improving the experience of children and young people.

The report said the improvement was more impressive as it had been achieved during the pandemic.

The service, delivered by Together for Children on behalf of the council, has been radically changed by its leadership.

As recently as 2018 the service was rated inadequate.

Published: 21/08/2021 by Radio NewsHub