Cambridgeshire County Council has taken important steps to ensure that it has a robust support network in place for its care leavers. This advance follows their 2024 inspection, which scored the council as needing improvement. Since July’s Ofsted inspection, the council had been enjoying good reports about the improvements it had made. It’s an indication of their continued commitment to providing more positive and stable futures for care leavers.
Councillor Edna Murphy, chair of the Children and Young People Committee at Cambridgeshire County Council, has welcomed the latest Ofsted report. Smith thinks the results underscore significant strides made for the area’s most vulnerable kids. The report acknowledged the “hard work and investment put into this vital area” and noted that improvements have been made in supporting young people transitioning from the care system.
The council’s initiatives involved recruiting more personal advisors — a strategy that has more than halved workloads. Whatever it takes to encourage osteos to engage with care leavers more proactively, this latest improvement does the trick. It helps build a more nurturing ecosystem at this particularly tumultuous period of their adolescence. Using these resources, Cambridgeshire County Council hopes to offer personalised support to ensure that care leavers make a successful transition into adulthood.
Ofsted found four main areas in which more work is needed. These areas will require ongoing attention to ensure that the improvements are sustainable and that care leavers receive comprehensive support.
In recent years, Cambridgeshire County Council has granted care leavers ‘protected characteristic’ status, reinforcing its commitment to their well-being. The council has pledged to maintain contact with care leavers beyond the age of 21. In doing so, they would ensure that the most vulnerable have continued access to vital resources and expert guidance.
Here is what one care leaver had to say during the ofsted inspection. According to them, the help they’ve received from Cambridgeshire County Council has been “life-changing.” This feedback exemplifies the positive impact of the council’s initiatives and emphasizes the importance of sustained support for young people exiting the care system.
Council’s lead member for children and young people Edna Murphy promised to improve the council’s support for care leavers. She stressed the continuing drive to improve the areas Ofsted have found as well as taking time to acknowledge the progress already made.
“We are committed to supporting our care leavers and are actively working to improve their experiences,” – Edna Murphy
