Calderdale Council has received a glowing report from Ofsted for its work to keep children safe and supported.
Ofsted inspectors visited the Council in April 2025. They focused on the arrangements for keeping children and young people safe and reducing risk factors outside of their family home, such as exploitation or radicalisation.
Ofsted published its inspection report on Tuesday 20 May 2025, concluding that the Council and its partner organisations effectively support children at risk of harm to access the right services at the right time.
The Council has dedicated teams that recognise and manage the risks that children and young people could face outside their family environment. This includes safeguarding work to prevent issues such as exploitation or bullying, and work to prevent children going missing from home.
Cllr Adam Wilkinson, Calderdale Council’s Cabinet Member for Children and Young People’s Services, said:
“We know life can be tough for children and young people. Looking out for them is one of the most important things we do, and for us that means doing our very best for them so they have hope and aspiration and achieve what they deserve.
“Ofsted inspections are one of the biggest tests of our role in supporting children and young people. Getting a glowing report is testament to the hard work and commitment of our brilliant teams and partner organisations. This follows on from the success of our ‘good’ rating in Ofsted’s full inspection of Children and Young People’s Services in 2024.
“We’re not complacent though, and are already taking on board Ofsted’s feedback on what we could do better, to make sure we continue to help improve young people’s lives across Calderdale.”
Watch this short video featuring Cllr Wilkinson and Julie Jenkins, the Council’s Director of Children and Young People’s Services: https://youtu.be/HZP-XKYYpV0(external link)
Inspectors praised the effective arrangements in place to identify and assess what young people and care leavers need, and how quickly any identified risks are dealt with.
Protecting children is a joint effort across Calderdale. The inspectors were impressed with the information-sharing between all the different organisations that support families, which leads to consistent decisions on what needs to happen next. They said that: “Partnership working is a strength in Calderdale and the range of support and interventions available are contributing to a reduction in risk for many children and care leavers.”
Ofsted also complimented the well-trained and supported teams, who use their skills and experience to build strong, trusting relationships with children and care leavers to reduce the risk of harm.
During the Ofsted visit, staff told inspectors they are “positive about working in Calderdale…it is a good place to work, and [there is] a positive workplace culture…with opportunities to develop.”
The inspection report details the “robust and effective response” if children go missing from home or care. Staff have a keen interest in knowing and understanding the children they work with, and explore risk factors with them to help reduce the chance of them going missing.
Senior leaders were praised for routinely scrutinising the support provided and the experiences of children and young people, showing strong commitment to high-quality services.
An area for improvement identified during the inspection related to the recording of information. Inspectors saw a range of personalised support being provided to children, but the children’s written plans didn’t always fully reflect this. Leaders are already aware and are taking steps to improve by introducing bespoke ‘Risk Outside the Home’ plans for children and care leavers.