Outstanding by Ofsted!

Hertfordshire Children's Services were rated Outstanding by Ofsted.

What Ofsted said about early help in Hertfordshire:-

"Hertfordshire’s early help service and family safeguarding teams make a positive difference for children, identifying and tackling need early on and reducing the number of children who need to come into care".

"Children in Hertfordshire receive the right level of support at the right time. Practitioners undertake focused direct work with children and ensure that children’s and families’ experiences and views inform assessments and plans. Comprehensive early help assessments are completed. A range of practitioners with specific roles carry out focused work, with appropriate oversight and supervision. The resulting plans are thorough in identifying needs, actions, clarity of role and responsibility and timescales. When children’s circumstances improve or there are increased concerns, smooth transitions between early help and statutory services lead to families receiving support at the right level, ensuring that risk is escalated appropriately. This enables families to understand the nature of the concerns and what help is being offered".