OFSTED visit Scilly's Children's Centre

OFSTED recently visited the Isles of Scilly Children's Centre and found the overall effectiveness of services to be "good".

Two inspectors visited Scilly for two and a half days and met with staff, partners, parents and children. They reported "that outcomes for children and families are good and children are well prepared for their next steps. Targeted support for children with disabilities and additional needs and for families whose circumstances may make them vulnerable is good overall, and in some cases excellent."

Care, guidance and support for families was judged to be good and equality and diversity was found to be promoted well. Inspectors added "the commitment to inclusion underpins the centre's work and the approach of staff. The needs of families on the off islands are systematically taken into account in service planning and development."

The centre was found to offer a safe and secure environment for children, parents and carers with the inspection report quoting one grandparent who said; "This is a place for the whole family."

They found that leadership and management of the centre are good and commented that "the centre, together with the local authority has a strong vision, high ambitions and clear priorities for developing services."

Within the report OFSTED included two recommendations for areas that require improvement. One focussed on improving the collection, analysis and use of data so that it can be used more effectively to plan, monitor and evaluate impact. The second focused on developing multi-agency services for improving the economic well being of local families.

David Pearson, Lead Member for Children's Services said; "I'm very pleased with the contents of this inspection report, I believe it reflects the efforts of all involved in the delivery of services to young children and their families. It's a true and accurate picture of services on Scilly and will help us build on areas that we know need strengthening."