Dorset Council has significantly strengthened the support and services available for young people who have spent time in care, a recent visit from Ofsted (the office for standards in education) has found.
The council’s Children’s Services received a visit from Ofsted inspectors in May this year to look at the arrangements in place for 16 and 17 year old care leavers.
A recent letter from the inspectors outlined the main findings of the visit which focussed on the support, services and opportunities available.
The overwhelmingly positive letter highlighted the ‘strong and effective support’ that is now available to care leavers in Dorset. And acknowledged the positive strides that have been taken by the council since the last inspection to improve the housing and accommodation options for young people leaving care.
The visit found that the local offer for care leavers in Dorset is strong and continues to grow, and highlighted the impact the council’s dedicated personal advisers are having on the young people they support.
Inspectors were also impressed with the community-based approaches and initiatives which have been adopted to combat and reduce exploitation. In particular, the inspectors named the Pineapple Project, a local project which supports young women who have experienced criminal or sexual exploitation.
Councillor Byron Quayle, Dorset Council’s Portfolio Holder for children, education, skills and early help, said:
“I am extremely proud of our strong local offer, and the work of our dedicated children’s services staff and partners who are committed to providing a high level of support to young people leaving care in Dorset.
“I would like to pay particular thanks to the young people we work so closely with. As a council we are constantly striving to improve our practices and services to make sure we are maximising our offer to them.
“It’s a giant step leaving care and starting life on your own, and it is vital that we make sure our young care leavers feel safe and supported, and importantly that they are able to access help and advice when they need it.”
Further achievements listed by Ofsted included the links formed with local employers and support available to young people entering the workplace, as well as a focus on strengthening mental health services.
In the letter to Dorset Council, inspectors said: “Senior leaders know the strengths and weaknesses of their service well. Since the previous inspection, they have focused on improving the help and support that care leavers receive.
“These improvements are underpinned by effective consultation with young people. Leaders have listened to young people about their experiences and acted to improve practice and services.”
More information on the council’s Local Offer for care leavers can be found on the Dorset Council website.
