Our outstanding Children’s Services team has won a national award for their pioneering work to drive up standards and make a difference to the lives of young people.
The service was named the winner of the Workforce Transformation category at the prestigious MJ Achievements Awards 2021, which recognise and celebrate excellence in local government services.
The judges said their decision was unanimous and praised North Tyneside’s innovative children’s social work model and “can do culture” which sees small teams working in flexible ways with strong management support and training.
These strong foundations meant that teams were quick to adapt to the upheaval of the pandemic, switching to new ways of working, for example using digital tools to keep in touch with children and families.
North Tyneside has a strong record of achievement in improving the lives of young people in the Borough. The judges also recognised how fewer children are referred for social care support in North Tyneside compared to most areas and the proportion of children in North Tyneside in care is one of the lowest in the region.
Staff turnover, vacancy levels and use of agency staff are also far lower than national averages.
The service’s workforce transformation plan has already been recognised nationally, gaining an Ofsted rating of Outstanding in March 2020. Its success also led to the team being asked to support other councils across the country to drive up standards.
They have also recently led national research on behalf of the Department for Education looking into how children’s services have adapted to keep children safe during the pandemic.
This included how the use of networks around a child – such as extended family members, neighbours, and other community members – was used to help keep them safe when professional support became more restricted.
Cllr Peter Earley, cabinet member for Children, Young People and Learning, said: “Ensuring that our children are safe, healthy, happy and able to thrive is something we are very passionate about here in North Tyneside.
“We are very proud of our outstanding children’s services and we are delighted that their innovation and dedication to aiming for the highest of standards have been recognised with this national award.”
Director of Children’s and Adult Services, Jacqui Old, added: “The COVID-19 pandemic has put our teams to the ultimate test.
“The national lockdown brought an urgent need to adapt as our teams had to find new ways of working to keep children safe while their visibility was reduced, all while dealing with the impact of the pandemic on their personal lives.
“However, thanks to the strong foundations already established, we have been able to continue delivering high-quality services. I am so proud of the whole team for their commitment to improving the lives of our young people.”
To find out more visit North Tyneside Children's Services.
