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8 May 08'Good' Children's Services for Poole
Children’s Services in Poole have been rated as "good" in all areas, enabled through "outstanding staff commitment and enthusiasm", according to a recent joint area review 
.
A joint area review is carried out by a team of inspectors from Ofsted , the Healthcare Commission and the Audit Commission and judges the contribution that the Borough of Poole and its partners are making to improve outcomes for children and young people in the local area.
The review found that most children feel safe and the arrangements for safeguarding children and young people are good overall. A number of the Council’s other strengths were also highlighted including:
- Outstanding staff morale, commitment and enthusiasm and the capacity to improve further is a result of good management
- Clear leadership of The Local Safeguarding Children Board (LCSB) shows strong and effective commitment and engagement of all partners
- Good partnership working is leading to good outcomes for most looked after children and young people, particularly in health and education
- Outcomes for children and young people with learning difficulties and/or disabilities are improved
- The number of young people not engaged in education, employment or training is low compared to the national average.
The findings reflect the success of the Children and Young People’s Plan for Poole 2006-2009, which was updated in 2007 and identifies priorities and actions for improving opportunities and local services for the children and young people of Poole.
Joint area reviews are carried out at the same time as the Audit Commission’s corporate assessment, which recently found the Borough of Poole to be ‘performing well’ with a good understanding of local needs gained through good research and consultation. The Council has also achieved the Commission’s top ‘four star’ rating in its annual Comprehensive Performance Assessment (CPA) of local authorities in England published in February.
A number of recommendations have been made for the Council to implement within Children’s Services over the next six months and in the longer term. These include:
- Improving access to after school and holiday activities for children and young people with learning difficulties and/or disabilities
- Increasing the rate of progress in developing post-16 education and employment opportunities for young people with the most complex conditions
- Ensuring there is sufficient paediatric occupational, physiotherapy and special equipment services to meet the needs of children and young people with learning difficulties and/or disabilities.
Councillor Tony Woodcock, Portfolio Holder for Children’s Social Services, Education and Youth Services said: "We are very pleased with the outcome of this joint annual review which so positively endorses our efforts to give every child the best start in life. It is a reflection of the hard work and commitment of everyone involved in children’s services in Poole. Young people are our greatest asset and giving them every opportunity for the future is an important responsibility. We will be working hard to deliver the recommendations outlined in the report to improve our services further."
Copies of the report are available from the Ofsted website at www.ofsted.gov.uk/reports.
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