West Sussex Children’s Services Receive Positive Ofsted Focus Visit Feedback

West Sussex County Council’s children’s services have been praised following a recent Ofsted focus visit, marking continued progress since the service was rated ‘inadequate’ in 2019.

The service improved to ‘requires improvement’ in 2023, and the November focus visit assessed how effectively the council has addressed previous areas for improvement.

Inspectors looked specifically at support for children in need of help and protection, the effectiveness of planning and interventions, and safeguarding of disabled children.

In a letter to Daniel Ruaux, director of children, young people & learning, the inspector said:

“Leaders, managers and the wider workforce in West Sussex have a strong shared ambition to ‘get it right’ for children, underpinned by a visible passion and determination.

"Leaders have responded purposefully to the areas for improvement identified at the last inspection, strengthening practice in key areas and, at times, going beyond simply addressing the shortfalls identified, through creative, child-focused developments that staff understand and support.”

The letter was shared at a county scrutiny committee meeting on Wednesday (January 14).

Jacquie Russell, cabinet member for children, young people & learning, described the feedback as “very positive,” highlighting the council’s ongoing commitment to improvement and noting that it puts the service in a strong position ahead of a full Ofsted inspection expected in the first half of 2026.

However, some areas for further improvement were identified, including ensuring plans consistently reflect each child and family’s individual needs, managing workloads for staff supporting disabled children, and strengthening understanding of risk indicators for this group.

The letter noted that while progress has been made, these areas had not yet reached the same level of improvement as the wider service.

Councillor Dawn Smith added that it was encouraging to see the council recognising its own areas of weakness and actively working to address them, describing it as “really good evidence of going in the right direction.”

A full Ofsted inspection of West Sussex children’s services will be carried out at a later date.