Questions raised over Ealing Council children’s services after Ofsted safeguarding concerns

Questions have been raised over children’s services at Ealing Council after Ofsted identified weaknesses in safeguarding practice and management oversight, including cases where children were left at unassessed risk of harm.

Ofsted carried out a focused visit to the London Borough of Ealing on 24 and 25 June, examining the council’s arrangements for children in need and those subject to child protection plans. The findings, published on 31 July, identified concerns about the consistency and effectiveness of safeguarding responses once children’s cases moved beyond the council’s initial front-door service.

Inspectors found that most contacts and referrals received a timely response and said risk identification at the front door had improved. However, they found that children did not consistently receive a timely and effective safeguarding response after their cases progressed to other teams, with some children left at unassessed risk of sexual abuse, physical harm or neglect.

Concerns were also raised about management oversight. Ofsted found that supervision beyond the initial screening stage did not always provide social workers with sufficient support to plan effectively with families, while differing management recommendations about risks identified during assessments could lead to confusion in decision-making. Actions identified through supervision were also not always sufficiently focused on children’s safety or progressing their plans.

The findings have prompted questions over why weaknesses in management oversight remain after concerns were previously identified. During Ealing’s 2024 inspection, children’s services were rated Good overall, although the experiences and progress of children who needed help and protection were judged Requires Improvement to be Good. That inspection identified the quality and impact of management oversight of some initial decisions involving children living with relatives or family friends as an area requiring further improvement.

Ealing Liberal Democrats have criticised the Labour-run council over the latest findings, arguing that problems with management oversight have not been addressed quickly enough. The opposition group has questioned how senior leaders were monitoring safeguarding practice and whether management information accurately reflected what was happening in individual cases.

The council has confirmed that it has submitted a draft action plan to Ofsted after being required to do so within 20 working days of the findings being published. A full action plan is due within 70 working days, setting out how the authority intends to address the weaknesses identified by inspectors.

Councillor Blerina Hashani, Ealing Council’s cabinet member for a fairer start, said the authority was taking the findings “extremely seriously” and had acted immediately, including reviewing cases highlighted during the visit, strengthening management oversight and putting an improvement plan in place with additional resources. The council has also pointed to positive findings from the visit, including its initial response to safeguarding concerns, partnership working and the commitment of staff.

The latest findings do not change Ealing children’s services’ existing Good overall rating, which dates from the authority’s full inspection in 2024. Ofsted changed its inspection framework from April 2026 and no longer awards a single headline judgement during new inspections of local authority children’s services.

The focus will now be on whether the council’s improvement plan translates into more consistent safeguarding practice, particularly once children move beyond the initial referral stage. With inspectors identifying cases in which children remained at unassessed risk, the findings place renewed pressure on the authority to demonstrate that management oversight is sufficiently robust to ensure concerns about children’s safety are acted on quickly and consistently.

Stay informed with the stories shaping health and social care.

Register with The Daily Round for the latest sector news, inspections & reports, wellbeing content, workforce insights, expert features and practical updates—delivered free to your inbox.