Leeds the best city for children in care

Looking after children in care is the most important thing we do as a council. Prioritising funding to these services might not win votes but it makes a massive difference.

So we're really pleased to share that Leeds City Council’s Children and Families services have once again been rated as ‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted – becoming the UK’s first core city to achieve the highest possible grading three times in a row.

In 2010, when the council was run by a Conservative-Lib Dem coalition, Leeds was rated 'Inadequate'. To go from that to getting an Outstanding rating in 2018, 2022 - despite pandemic pressures, and now 2025 is an unprecedented achievement.

Back in 2022 we were the first city to get it twice in a row.

The rating follows a rigorous and thorough inspection of the services the council provides for children in need of help and protection, children in care and care leavers.

Ofsted inspectors rated the council as ‘Outstanding’ for the impact of leaders on social work practice with children and families, for the experiences and progress of children in care, and for the experiences and progress of care leavers.

The council was rated as ‘good’ in relation to the experiences and progress of children who need help and protection.

The overall rating was therefore ‘Outstanding’.

The latest report states that ‘children in Leeds continue to benefit from effective services that improve children’s outcomes. An extensive range of well-established early help services meet the needs of many families and prevent concerns from increasing. When children are identified as being at risk, there is an effective response to children.’

Inspectors said that senior leaders and members of the council ‘have a determined vision for improving the lives of children in Leeds. Leaders are ambitious and are delivering service excellence through highly effective partnership working.

‘Political and corporate support remains strong, which is evidenced in the council’s continued investment in services for vulnerable children. Leaders understand the complex and diverse needs of children in the communities and what this means for children’s life chances and outcomes. These insights inform well-defined strategies and planning to respond to children’s changing needs.”

The report states:

• ‘Leaders are ambitious for children and delivering service excellence’, with an organisational culture ‘that has an unwavering focus on promoting positive outcomes for children’.

• ‘Safeguarding risks to children are identified quickly and are appropriately considered in strategy meetings, which are well attended by relevant partner agencies that share information and agree actions to reduce risks to children.

• Child protection enquiries are thorough, child-focused and lead to appropriate outcomes’.

• ‘Social workers are highly ambitious for children and encourage them to have goals and dreams that children are motivated to achieve’.

• ‘The new archway hub is an impressive well-resourced facility for care leavers to meet and access a range of support services and activities’.

Yvette Stanley, Ofsted’s national director of regulation and social care, said: “Leeds City Council’s ‘outstanding’ inspection outcome reflects the continued determination of its leadership team, managers and frontline staff, as well as the wider council and its safeguarding partners.

“This is a magnificent achievement, and the council should be proud of the sustained positive difference it has made for the children and families of Leeds over time.”

The full report is available on the Ofsted website: https://files.ofsted.gov.uk/v1/file/50284438