Liverpool City Council's children's social care services have been upgraded from 'inadequate' to 'good' by Ofsted, following a dramatic three-year turnaround. The education watchdog's inspection in May 2026 found that children and families are now 'better and safer', with leaders praised for their focused efforts to address previous concerns.
From Inadequate to Good
In March 2023, Ofsted condemned the council's care provision, citing serious weaknesses that left children 'being harmed or at risk of harm'. Four out of five service areas were rated inadequate. Now, the council has achieved 'good' ratings for the impact of leaders on social work practice, the experiences and progress of children needing help and protection, and the experience and progress of children in care. Currently, 1,260 young people are in the city's care, with 960 care leavers, down from 1,600 in August 2023.
Leadership and Structural Changes
Cllr Liz Parsons, appointed cabinet member for children's social services in May 2023, described the 2023 report as 'shocking' but said it kick-started the turnaround. 'It has always felt like it also came at the right time, it was an opportunity,' she said. 'People were able to just crack on... this is not good enough, it's not acceptable for any of us.' Jenny Glennard, appointed director of children's services in August 2023, was praised by Ofsted for her leadership. The report noted that the new senior leadership team 'understood and accepted that significant change was needed and did not delay in implementing plans'.
Reduction in Agency Staff
Reliance on agency staff has been reduced from 80% to 16% over three years. Mrs Glennard said, 'I won't give up until we're outstanding because actually I think we can get there.' Cllr Parsons added, 'The next step is outstanding. Neither of us, Jenny or I, aspired to be good, we aspired to have outstanding services for the children and families in the city.'
Areas for Further Improvement
Ofsted noted that some areas still require work, including the response to homeless children, oversight of permanence planning, and the quality of pathway plans for care leavers. A care leavers hub is planned to provide a one-stop shop for support. Mrs Glennard said, 'We'll bring in a multi-disciplinary team together, because the recommendation for development is improved pathway plans.'
