Kingston children's services rated "requires improvement" — what went wrong?

When Ofsted rates a council's children's services as "requires improvement", it means vulnerable children are not being adequately protected. Kingston received this rating, and residents — particularly parents — should understand what it means.

What Ofsted found

Social workers were carrying too many cases — an average of 22 per worker, when best practice is around 15. Early help services (support for families before problems escalate to social services) were inconsistent across the borough. Some children were waiting too long for assessments.

Why this matters more than any pothole

Children's services deal with child protection, children in care, and support for the most vulnerable families in the borough. When caseloads are too high, social workers cannot give each child the attention they need. Mistakes happen. Children fall through the gaps.

The recruitment problem nobody wants to discuss

Kingston, like many London boroughs, struggles to recruit and retain permanent social workers. The council relies heavily on expensive agency staff. But Kingston is one of the wealthiest boroughs in London — if it cannot offer competitive salaries and working conditions, what message does that send about its priorities?

The SEND transport question

The council spends £12 million per year on transporting children with special educational needs to schools, often outside the borough. This is because there are not enough specialist school places locally. Rather than investing in local SEND provision years ago, the council is now spending millions on taxis. The SEND transport review was deferred for further parent consultation — residents should watch this closely.

What parents should do

If you have concerns about children's services in your area, attend the People Committee meetings (they are open to the public). Ask your councillor what specific actions have been taken since the Ofsted inspection. Track their response on Council Watch.