In September 2017, North Lincolnshire Council became one of only three English councils to be awarded ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted for services for children in need of help and protection, and looked-after children.
This achievement was a sustained position over a five-year period when Local Authorities have experienced overall budget reduction. North Lincolnshire attributes its success to a whole-council approach, with an embedded shared vision placing children and families at the heart of everything the council does, and a relentless drive and ambition for continuous improvement.
The challenge
In 2012, Ofsted’s inspection of North Lincolnshire’s safeguarding and looked after children services was overwhelming positive, with solely outstanding or good judgements. Recognising that to maintain excellence in performance they could not stand still, North Lincolnshire sought to build on their position to drive forward service improvements and outcomes. This ambition for excellence was against a backdrop of reductions in government grants, the introduction of the Single Inspection Framework (SIF) which raised the bar for securing the highest accreditations, as well locality-specific challenges.
The approach
The foundations that North Lincolnshire identify as key to consistently sustaining good and outstanding services for children and families include:
- A shared ambition and vision, with a ‘whole council’ approach and focus on resilience
A ‘whole council’ approach, founded on ambitious aspirations for improving outcomes for children by focusing on building community resilience to enable, and where necessary equip, children and families to stay together in their families, their communities and their schools. Strong communities and strong families are at the heart of everything the council does. The enduring nature of this culture is key, it is larger than any one individual or organisational change. This vision is shared, owned and embedded throughout the organisation; permeating all aspects of the council’s activities, from policies and practices through to priorities and personal ownership.
- Authentic leadership at every level that is invested, and willing to invest
Driven by a genuine belief in North Lincolnshire’s ability to make a positive difference for children and families, leaders at all levels articulate, drive and model this ambition; from the political leadership and senior officers, middle managers and front line practitioners. Both the political and senior leadership have first-hand contact with children and young people, resulting in a depth of understanding. They are personally invested and committed to achieve better outcomes. The council is strengths-based, builds on an organisational history that retains the ethos and consistency in political and cultural leadership which has been instrumental in sustaining investment in services to the vulnerable year on year to deliver this ambition.
- Views of young people being central to service development
Children and young peoples’ views are truly valued and heard at all levels. The voice of children and young people are creatively sought, considered and central to service development, such as through a youth and children in care council. Co-production with children, families, elected members and partners is the default operating model, where circumstances permit.
- Effective and coordinated partnership working
A system leadership approach across partner agencies, including: police, education, health, foster carers and adopters. Effective and coordinated partnership working- at both a strategic and operational level - creating shared goals and aspirations meaning partners also buy into the council’s vision and place the child and families at the heart of their activities. To ensure accountabilities are embedded and performance issues progressed, this is coupled with comprehensive performance management and quality assurance systems.
- Equipped, enabled and stable workforce
Investment in staff creating an experienced, well-trained and stable workforce that feel supported, motivated to deliver best practice, and have a long term commitment North Lincolnshire and its communities. Fostering this environment involves a focus on retention; proactive recruitment practices; supporting professional learning and development; listening to frontline staff; and an outward facing sector-led improvement approach. A long lasting assurance system - based upon an agreed relationship between ‘high support’ and ‘high challenge’ – as well as a strengths based approach - encouraging shared responsibility across professionals - means staff feel supported and valued. The resulting longevity as a team, particularly in terms on contact with children and families, ensure children are engaged fully and delivers measurably improved outcomes.
- A relentless ambition to always improve
A recognition that the route to improvement is continuous, with a need to always to look forward, challenge themselves and learn from others. Post 2012, North Lincolnshire sought to effect change rather than maintain the status quo. This continual focus to adopt new ways to deliver better outcomes, being open and responsive to creating and implementing change, and embracing innovation has led to creative approaches to securing better outcomes, such as a social enterprise model for provision of accommodation and support for care leavers. Although the workforce is stable, officers and politicians actively seek opportunities to participate in external peer reviews and challenges, to test their own practice and learn from others.
The impact
Services to Children overall were judged as outstanding by the most recent Ofsted Inspection in the summer of 2017, one of only three councils to achieve this status. In particular commenting that the “focus on keeping children and young people at the heart of everything is the most striking element of this outstanding local authority.” [1] The key findings included:
- Children who need help and protection Good
- Children looked after and achieving permanence Outstanding
- Adoption performance Outstanding
- Experiences and progress of care leavers Outstanding
- Leadership, management and governance Outstanding
- Local Safeguarding Children’s Board Outstanding
Lessons learned
There is no one magical ingredient or single intervention to delivering and sustaining excellence in the provision of services for children and families. It is a whole system approach, with clear shared strategies and priorities across the council and with partners, resulting in a culture of high expectations, strong management and personal accountability to every level. For North Lincolnshire, their success flowed from an intrinsic belief that with the knowledge, skills and abilities, coupled with a relentless drive for improvement and a whole council approach, they could make a real and positive difference to outcomes for children and families.
Contact
Mick Gibbs
Director of Children and Community Resilience
North Lincolnshire Council
Email: [email protected]
Links to relevant documents
- Effective Leadership of Children’s Services - Joining the dots
- 2017 North Lincolnshire Ofsted report - Inspection of services for children in need of help and protection, children looked after and care leavers
- 2012 North Lincolnshire Ofsted report - Inspection of safeguarding and looked after children services
[1] Ofsted Report: Inspection of services for children in need of help and protection, children looked after and care leavers