Children’s services in Trafford are no longer rated ‘inadequate’ by Ofsted following a recent inspection by the regulator. A comprehensive inspection took place over a three-week period between November and December 2022, with inspectors finding an overall ‘improvement in the quality of social work in Trafford’ with ‘significant political and corporate support and commitment to the improvement of outcomes for children and young people in Trafford.’
The report praises the council’s strong partnership working, significant investment in children’s services and a culture focused on children and found that ‘social workers in Trafford are overwhelmingly positive about both the local authority and the support they receive.’
However, the findings also highlight several areas where there is more work to do, in particular with regard to services for children with complex needs and young people who are over 16 and homeless. As a result, the authority has been given an overall grading of ‘requires improvement to be good’.
