Buckinghamshire Council has formally approved a comprehensive Improvement Plan to strengthen services for vulnerable children and young people, following its latest Ofsted inspection.
The plan, agreed at the Cabinet meeting on the 9th September, sets out a clear roadmap to address areas identified for development in the inspection report published earlier this year. Ofsted visited the council between 27 January and 7 February 2025, assessing services for children in need of help and protection, children in care, and care leavers.
While the overall judgement remained “requires improvement to be good”, inspectors rated the experiences and progress of children in care as “good”, acknowledging significant progress since the last inspection in 2021.
The new Improvement Plan builds on this progress and outlines targeted actions to:
- Strengthen management oversight and reflective supervision
- Improve support for children at risk of neglect
- Enhance transition planning for older children and disabled care leavers
- Increase engagement with care-experienced young people
- Improve the quality and consistency of pathway plans for care leavers aged 21+
Ade Osibogun, Cabinet Member for Education and Children’s Services at Buckinghamshire Council, said:
“We are committed to delivering the best possible outcomes for children and young people in Buckinghamshire. The Ofsted inspection recognised many areas of good practice and the positive impact of recent changes. Our Improvement Plan sets out how we will go further – ensuring that every child receives the support they need, when they need it, and that our services continue to improve.
“We are already well on the way with delivering the changes set out in this Plan, and we will keep building on the progress we’ve made so far.”
Progress will be monitored through a robust framework of quality assurance and performance review, with regular updates to Cabinet, the Children’s and Education Select Committee, and the Corporate Parenting Panel.
The Improvement Plan forms part of the council’s wider commitment to ensuring every child receives the support, protection, and opportunities they deserve.
Image credit: iStock
