What Liverpool’s children’s care turnaround means for families

demoduck.co.uk editorial team 2026-07-16 18:11 4 min read

A smiling woman with dark hair and glasses poses against a cartoon city mural.

Families receiving children’s social care in Liverpool should now encounter more consistent staffing and better-connected support after Ofsted raised the city’s Children’s Services rating from “inadequate” to “good”.

The new judgement follows three years of children’s care improvements involving recruitment, caseloads, leadership and family support. Ofsted identified “tangible improvements across all areas of practice”, according to an account published by Liverpool City Council and written by Cllr Liz Parsons, Cabinet Member for Children’s Social Services.

The rating does not mean every weakness has been resolved. Council leaders acknowledge that support for care leavers still needs improvement, while their longer-term aim is to move the service towards the highest-performing group nationally.

Greater consistency for children and families

One of the clearest changes for families is the reduction in Liverpool Children’s Services’ reliance on temporary agency workers. In 2023, four out of every five staff were agency workers. That proportion has fallen to 16%, the council says.

Permanent staffing matters because children receiving social care often need time to build trust with the professionals supporting them. Frequent changes can require a child or family to repeat difficult personal experiences whenever a new worker takes over.

A more stable workforce should allow social workers to maintain relationships, understand family circumstances and follow plans over a longer period. The council has also recruited additional social workers to reduce caseloads and invested in training, professional development, communication and visible leadership.

The “good” judgement indicates that inspectors found improvements at service level. It cannot guarantee that every family will have the same experience, making continued oversight of caseloads, response times and continuity important.

Recruitment helped reverse the inadequate rating

Cllr Parsons said she and Corporate Director Jenny Glennard expected recovery to take between three and five years when they began planning changes after the inadequate judgement.

The initial challenge extended beyond structures and procedures. Parsons said the rating had damaged morale among staff who remained committed to supporting vulnerable children. The response combined workforce investment with efforts to rebuild confidence and strengthen management.

Liverpool promoted its plans at social-work recruitment events and sought to bring experienced employees back into the service. According to Parsons, former staff have returned while newly qualified workers and other recruits have chosen to begin or continue their careers in the city.

Ofsted’s recognition of the pace and scale of change suggests that the improvement was not attributed to a single programme. Staffing stability, management changes and practice improvements contributed to the latest assessment.

Family Hubs and youth services broaden support

Changes extend beyond statutory social care. Liverpool has established 12 Family Hubs intended to give families a local route into coordinated services and help them receive support before problems escalate.

The city also commissioned 85,758 Holiday Activities and Food places during 2025-26. Council figures show that 9,389 children and young people benefited from meals, activities and enrichment opportunities.

Children aged eight to 17 can receive free leisure-centre passes, alongside more than £5 million of investment in facilities. Youth-service funding has doubled, with an additional £1 million allocated to community-based work.

These services address different needs from child protection, but early help, recreation and accessible community support can reduce pressure on families. Liverpool has also been working since 2022 towards recognition as a UNICEF Child Friendly City, a programme focused on embedding children’s rights in local decisions and services.

Care leavers remain a stated priority

The council has identified support for care leavers as an area where further work is required. Young people leaving care can face an abrupt transition into adulthood involving housing, employment, education, finances and health support.

Plans include a new Care Leavers’ Hub where young adults can obtain help in a familiar setting. The source does not give an opening date, so delivery and accessibility will be key measures of whether the commitment produces practical improvements.

Further improvement before the next inspection

Liverpool City Council says the latest Ofsted rating is a milestone rather than the end of the recovery programme. Work is expected to continue on service quality, children’s rights and support for young people moving out of care.

The stated objective for the next inspection is to place Liverpool Children’s Services among the country’s best-performing services.

Source: Liverpool City Council

Context & actions About this article

Source check Source trail

The rating, staffing figures and support programmes are attributed to Liverpool City Council’s account of the Ofsted judgement.

Checks

Confirmed that the reported Ofsted rating changed from inadequate to good.
Preserved the council’s staffing figures of four in five agency workers in 2023 and 16% cu...
Separated Ofsted findings from statements and future ambitions made by council leaders.
Retained the stated investment figures, programme totals and acknowledged challenge for ca...

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