The long-awaited outcome of a full Ofsted inspection into Solihull's children's services is due to be made public next week, the council's leader has confirmed.
Legacy of Tragedy and Previous Failings
The national spotlight was fixed on Solihull Council's provision for vulnerable children following the horrific murder of six-year-old Arthur Labinjo-Hughes in 2020. A subsequent Ofsted inspection in November 2022 delivered a damning verdict, uncovering 'serious and widespread failings' and noting a significant decline in services since a previous review three years earlier.
These profound failures prompted the government to appoint commissioner Sir Alan Wood to oversee and guide the council's recovery. Sir Alan noted an initial 'sense of denial' upon his arrival but has since expressed confidence that children in the borough are now safer.
A Pivotal Re-inspection
Providing an update to the council's children's services and education scrutiny board, leader Councillor Karen Grinsell detailed the recent inspection process. 'We went through our inspection in October,' she stated. 'It was very thorough, the inspectors were here on site. Our children were interviewed, there were lots of people interviewed. I was the first one up, definitely fully interrogated.'
Councillor Grinsell described the experience as positive, offering a chance to showcase the work undertaken. The authority has since received a draft report and provided feedback, with the final version anticipated imminently. 'We are expecting the full report to be published next week – until then we can’t say anymore,' she concluded.
Looking Forward with Cautious Optimism
Rasheed Pendry, the council's director of children's services, echoed the leader's sentiments, praising the team's contribution during the inspection. This latest full inspection follows a series of more positive monitoring visits from Ofsted in recent years, which had identified major improvements in the service.
The publication of next week's report will be a defining moment for Solihull Council, offering a comprehensive judgement on whether its children's services have successfully emerged from a period of intense scrutiny and reform.
