Ofsted Outstanding

Redbridge Council has been awarded an Outstanding rating across every Ofsted criterion, following its inspection in June 2024.

During the Ofsted visit, inspectors scrutinised children’s and young people’s experiences of the help, protection and care given to them by the local authority. They also looked at the leadership at the local authority and what is put in place to make services better.

Ofsted noted that since the last inspection in 2019, when Redbridge Council was rated Outstanding, services for children and their families in Redbridge had been improved even further. Inspectors noted that Redbridge has a sustained record of strong performance in children’s services.

Ofsted found that children in Redbridge are listened to, and their feelings put at the heart of decision-making. Social workers build strong relationships with children, and get to know them well.

When children cannot live with their families and are in care, they were found to receive excellent care and support, living in stable, nurturing homes and looked after by people who really care about them.  Social workers visit them regularly and make sure that they are safe and happy. Arrangements for young people leaving the Council’s care were also assessed as Outstanding, with inspectors reporting significant improvements in arrangements for Care Leavers since the previous inspection.

All aspects of the Council’s arrangements to support and safeguard children and young people were praised along with the contribution of the Council’s leadership. Staff were found to be well supported, with a commitment to improvement and innovation allowing excellent practice to flourish.  

Deputy Leader of the Council, Kam Rai said, “In Redbridge, our children are nurtured, cared for and supported. The fact that we have continued to develop new approaches to even better support and safeguard children and young people, despite already having been rated as Outstanding, is testament to the absolute dedication of all those working with children and young people in Redbridge. I would like to thank all the staff involved and partner agencies. Thanks to you, children in Redbridge are supported to safely and happily enjoy their childhood, with exemplar support available to  them whenever they may need it. We won’t rest on our laurels, there is always more to do, and we will always endeavour to do our best for the children of our borough.”

The full report can be viewed on the Ofsted website