Inspectors have declared that Solihull Council's children's services have undergone a profound transformation in the years following the murder of six-year-old Arthur Labinjo-Hughes.
From Inadequate to Good: A Landmark Rating
In a historic first for the borough, the council's children's services have now been rated as good by watchdog Ofsted. This marks a dramatic turnaround from a damning 2022 inspection that uncovered serious and widespread failings, leading to an 'inadequate' rating.
The national spotlight was fixed on Solihull after Arthur was murdered in June 2020. A subsequent review found that family members who raised concerns had been ignored by social services.
A Deliberate Path to Improvement
Following the 2022 judgement, the government appointed commissioner Sir Alan Wood to support the council. Ofsted's latest full inspection, carried out in November 2025, found that decisive action had delivered wide-ranging improvements.
Inspectors highlighted several areas now judged to be good, including:
- The impact of leaders on social work practice.
- The experiences of children who need help and protection.
- The progress of care leavers.
- The overall effectiveness of the service.
The report states: "Children now benefit from more timely, well-coordinated support, and those in care live in stable, nurturing homes, while care leavers receive more consistent, aspirational support into adulthood."
Commitment to Sustained Progress
While celebrating the progress, Ofsted noted that practice must become stronger in areas like permanence planning and systematically using children's voices. However, leaders were praised for their demonstrable track record of delivering improvement and clear commitment to further sustainable progress.
Councillor Karen Grinsell, Solihull Council's leader and cabinet member for children and education, said: "We are absolutely thrilled with this outcome, and I am so proud of everyone who has worked tirelessly over the last few years to make the necessary improvements."
This positive judgement represents a significant milestone for Solihull, demonstrating a determined effort to reform its child protection services in the wake of tragedy.
