Rotherham Council’s Children and Young People’s Services have been rated ‘Outstanding’ overall following Ofsted’s most recent inspection.
“Since the last inspection in 2022, services for children, young people and families in Rotherham have improved further, driven by a confident leadership team with strong corporate and political backing,” the report states.
Inspectors found that the Council placed children’s experiences and voices at the heart of decision-making and practice, recognising a strong culture of learning, continuous improvement and cross-organisational commitment to children and families. “Assessments were thorough, child-focused and grounded in the experiences and voices of children and families.”
Four out of five inspection areas were judged Outstanding: the impact of leaders on social work practice, the experiences and progress of children who need help and protection, the experiences and progress of children in care, and overall effectiveness. The experiences and progress of care leavers was rated Good.
This outcome reflects years of dedicated work by social workers, practitioners, leaders and partners across Rotherham to improve services, rebuild trust and keep children safe and supported. “Ofsted also noted that most children lived in stable homes, allowing them to form trusting and consistent relationships with those who cared for them.” While this recognition is significant for the Council and the borough, the Council emphasises that improvement is a continuing journey and that it will never be complacent.
Ofsted also praised specialist support for vulnerable children: “Children at risk of going missing from home and being exploited receive a highly effective service from Evolve, the specialist exploitation team. Skilled practitioners build trusting relationships through consistent, trauma-informed engagement, enabling disclosure and strengthening protective factors.”
This achievement places Rotherham among an elite group of just nine local authorities in England to hold both an Outstanding ILACS rating – the highest possible judgement under Ofsted’s Inspection of Local Authority Children’s Services framework – and the top Area SEND outcome, which assesses how effectively councils support children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities. It is the only council in the Yorkshire and Humber region to achieve this combination.
Ofsted highlighted a number of strengths across services, including:
- Children’s voices are central to assessment, planning and support, with lived experience actively shaping services. This includes initiatives such as the Children in Care Council, ‘In Care Voice’ group, and ‘Look Ahead’ for care leavers, as well as outreach programmes, SEND sufficiency planning, and increasing placements within the borough. Young inspectors and young journalists also play a key role in holding services to account and improving practice.
- Leadership impact is strong, with clear vision, stable management, and robust corporate and political backing, reflecting sustained and visible council-wide commitment to placing children at the heart of strategic decision-making since the last inspection.
- Children who need help and protection receive timely, effective support, and risk is managed well.
- Children in care experience stability, feel listened to and are supported to achieve their ambitions.
- A culture of reflective practice, learning and sharing good practice is embedded across teams.
The inspection also recognised the Council’s approach to workforce engagement, which meant staff felt valued, proud to work for Rotherham, and inspired to deliver the very best for children, young people, and families.
This positive culture is underpinned by stable and confident leadership. “The dedicated Strategic Director has established and nurtured a highly effective children’s services leadership team that remains strategically focused, providing consistent direction and oversight across services. Transitions for new leaders have been carefully managed to strengthen leadership while ensuring continuity and minimal disruption to service delivery,” the report noted.
Additional improvements include the development of five new residential homes, enabling children to remain within their communities rather than being placed out of borough.
Cllr Chris Read, Leader of Rotherham Council, said: “I could not be more proud of all the teams in our Children’s Services and across the Council who have made this Ofsted report possible. The teams provide brilliant support to families in some of the most difficult circumstances that anyone could imagine. There is nothing more important than keeping our most vulnerable children safe and this report today from Ofsted is recognition of the way in which they do that work.
“It’s been ten years since we were found ‘inadequate’ in our Children’s Services, and during that time, they have been utterly transformed. I am really proud today to lead a Council which has some of the best Children’s Services in the country. I said at that time that we would do everything we could to make sure our services were amongst the best, and we worked on this, year on year.
“It doesn’t stop today with today’s report, it’s our commitment that we will continue to try to provide the best possible services, the most support, the safest possible environment for all Rotherham’s children in the years to come.”
Anthony Fitzgerald, Executive Place Director for Rotherham, said: “Achieving an Outstanding rating for Children’s Services is fantastic news for Rotherham. I’m delighted for everyone in the council and the wider partners who have worked tirelessly over a number of years to ensure children and young people feel safe and have access to the best child-focussed services possible.
“The progress made in Rotherham over the last ten years is remarkable and we are committed to continuing the excellence journey, ensuring that young people, parents and carers at the heart of giving children the best start in life.”
The Ofsted report was published today, 16 December 2025, and is available on the Ofsted website and the Council’s website. The Council will also share further information with partners, professionals, and residents to explain what the judgement means locally and how services will continue to improve.