Council's Children's Services are 'safe' and 'improving'

7 August 2025

Children's Services in Powys are "safe" and "improving", with "no serious failings identified".

That is the view of an assurance report, commissioned by the county council and written by an external expert in children's social care.

Steve Walker's report also highlights stable leadership, strong advocacy from independent reviewing officers (on behalf of children) and high-quality performance reporting as key strengths.

He said: "Powys Children's Services is a safe service. No serious failings were identified, and no practice issues had to be referred to leaders. Powys Children's Services has made significant progress, particularly in recent years and has improved services, practice and outcomes for children, young people and families."

The Director of Relational Children's Social Work Services also said that staff feel supported and are proud to work for Powys County Council, even though they face challenges with the IT systems they currently use, and financial pressures are persistent.

He adds that the service is well-informed and has a clear understanding of its strengths and areas for improvement.

"We commissioned this report to find out if Children's Services are functioning effectively, safely and in line with our expectations," said Councillor Sandra Davies, Powys County Council's Cabinet Member for Future Generations. "We are very pleased to find that the view of an independent expert is that they are 'safe' and 'improving'.

"We also wanted to understand current challenges and support further improvement through clear recommendations and appreciate and welcome the findings of Steve Walker. Diolch yn fawr, thank you, very much."

The recommendations include:

• Developing a simple, ambitious vision for Children's Services.
• Conducting research into causes of care entry, especially around poverty, mental health, and repeat removals.
• Continue coaching and mentoring for senior leaders.
• Support career development and develop a better understanding of case complexity.
• Review the way staff are communicated with and how often.
• Improve multi-agency coordination and access to resources.
• Reduce transfer points to help avoid frequent social worker changes.
• Make child participation a strategic priority.
• Consider piloting family group conferencing.
• Streamline early intervention services, improve foster carer support, and implement a special guardianship offer.
• Define specific roles for each of the council's children's homes and make sure they are all open by the end of the year.
• Engage with partners to reduce distant residential placements.

Cllr Davies added: "The main conclusion is that we are in a strong position to make further progress, which will be sustained and delivered at a faster pace if we can focus on our vision, workforce support, strategic clarity, and partnership working.

"It is because of the hard-working commitment of staff in Children's Services that the service is as it is today, I wish to thank our staff for this."

The full assurance report can be viewed on the council's website: https://powys.moderngov.co.uk/documents/s97333/Assurance%20Review%20of%20Powys%20Childrens%20Services.pd