4 December 2023
NHS urges local people to ‘know your risk’ in Diabetes Awareness Month
People in Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes have been urged to check their individual risk of type 2 diabetes, as Diabetes Awareness Month (November) draws…
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In its first full inspection of our Children’s Services since 2020, Ofsted has concluded that significant improvements have been made and children in Luton now receive a much better service from the local authority.
Despite the catastrophic impact of COVID-19 and extremely challenging constraints in funding, the regulator believes that leaders and staff have still achieved tangible and significant progress since the last full inspection.
In its report, which was published today (Monday 5 September), Ofsted was positive about the performance of the local authority in a number of key areas. These include:
For children in need of help and protection:
For children in care and care leavers:
The impact of leaders on social work practice:
While acknowledging the extreme difficulties and many challenges facing the service, Ofsted has highlighted some areas where further improvement is still required in order for the service to be rated as ‘Good’.
These are issues facing councils across the country: including the difficulty in retaining the council’s social care workforce; the quality and analysis of assessments of children and the consistency of support and pathway plans for care leavers.
The council is already taking action to address these issues, including:
Cllr Tahmina Saleem, portfolio holder for children’s services, said: “While it was always going to take time to completely turn the service around from where it was back in 2020, the report published today clearly states children and families in Luton are better supported, better protected and significant improvements have been made across the service.
“Despite the significant progress, we acknowledge we need to make further improvements so that all children in Luton can thrive and have the life opportunities they deserve. We remain completely focused upon continuing to make positive changes based on what Ofsted has told us and the improvement plans already in place.
“We can be proud of the significant progress we have made and it is absolutely right to acknowledge and thank our staff, partners and leadership team for their hard work, tenacious drive and extreme determination. Together they have delivered significant improvements across the service throughout what has been the most challenging of times during the pandemic.”
4 December 2023
NHS urges local people to ‘know your risk’ in Diabetes Awareness Month
People in Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes have been urged to check their individual risk of type 2 diabetes, as Diabetes Awareness Month (November) draws…
1 December 2023
Leighton Buzzard Public Update – December 2023
In our last update on work in Leighton Buzzard, we were pleased to confirm that a “focus group” style event would be held in the…
29 November 2023
New technology helping people to stay safely in their own homes
20 people in Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes are being helped to live safely in their own homes, thanks to an innovative wireless device which remotely monitors a person’s vital…
29 November 2023
MiiCare helps local people to live independently for longer
MiiCare is an innovative wireless device that remotely monitors someone’s vital signs, hydration levels, sleep patterns and wellbeing to prevent falls, an infection or a hospital stay. Having these timely…
23 November 2023
“Don’t let COVID or flu spoil your holiday season,” NHS urges residents…
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21 November 2023
Celebrating exceptional nurses: Queen’s Nurse Awards honour local nurses
Two outstanding nurses in Luton have received the prestigious Queen’s Nurse (QN) title for their contributions to healthcare. The Queen’s Nurse title is a mark of their commitment to nursing…