Ofsted praises ESCC children's services

In its annual assessment of the council's Children's Services department Ofsted said that overall provision was good and in many cases outstanding.

The results of the assessment, which show East Sussex County Council as the highest rated in the south east and among the top performing authorities in the country, were considered by a meeting of the council's ruling Cabinet this week.

Speaking after the meeting Councillor Keith Glazier, Lead member for Children's and Adults' Services said: "I am absolutely delighted with this result which reflects the continuing commitment and professionalism of all our staff. At the very heart of all we do is a genuine determination to do everything we can to make East Sussex a great place to grow up where young people are safe and have every opportunity to fulfil their potential.

"These are really difficult times; the work of Children's Services departments has never been under such scrutiny and the pressure on staff in the service has never been greater. So while we're delighted with this endorsement from Ofsted we are not complacent and will continue to strive to build on the services we provide and make them even better."

In its assessment of the department Ofsted examined the council's work under several categories. It gave the council an overall rating of "good" with "outstanding" grades for the work it does for young people under the categories of: "being healthy", "staying safe", "making a positive contribution" and "capacity to improve".

There were good ratings in the "enjoying and achieving" and "achieving economic well-being" categories.

The assessment result means the County Council is within the top 7% performing authorities in the country and the top rated county council in England.