CARE teams tasked with protecting the county's most vulnerable children have coped well with budget cuts and a huge increase in cases, a watchdog has said.

Ofsted released a report yesterday about Oxfordshire County Council's children's services, having assessed the authority's social work and support for an increasing number of children in care.

It said financial pressures led to a decline in service quality but this has since been reversed with 'rigour', and the vast majority of children are being well looked-after.

Its report said: "In 2015–16 a significant rise in demand across all areas of the service, combined with a reduction in resources as part of council-wide efficiency savings, led to a decline in the quality of some services, particularly for those children in need of help and protection.

"Senior leaders have taken rigorous action to respond to this deterioration.

"Significant additional financial investment, combined with a large-scale restructure in 2017, has led to an improved early help service, increased capacity in frontline staffing and an enhanced service for children in care."

The education and childcare regulator said the council must give quicker support for children suffering neglect, however.

The report said: "A small minority of children remain living in unsatisfactory situations for too long.

"A small minority of children experience drift and delay in achieving permanence."

It also said delay in finding care placements for older children meant some 17-year-olds were temporarily put up in bed and breakfasts, which it deemed 'unsuitable'.

The number of children in care in Oxfordshire rose from 500 in 2015 to to 700 in 2018, with the majority of cases due to neglect.

Assessments of children at risk of neglect increased from 633 to 918 from 2015 to 2017.

Steve Harrod, the council's cabinet member for children and family services, said: "The report acknowledges the positive impact of our recent service changes to handle the big increase in cases of abuse and neglect and the rise in children entering care.

"Our social workers and other staff work incredibly hard to keep children safe and help them get the best possible start in life."

He thanked unsung heroes of the social work field for ensuring children were protected, and said the council was under 'no illusions' of challenges that lie ahead.

Ofsted judged the council as 'good' in three of four areas of assessment and 'good' overall, but 'requires improvement' for 'experiences and progress of children who need help and protection'.

In its last inspection in 2014 it was rated 'good' across the board.

Ofsted praised the council for a 'rigorous' multi-agency approach to reducing risks of sexual exploitation and 'robust' response to children who go missing.

Social workers were said to build 'meaningful and important' relationships with children in a working environment that allowed their efforts to 'flourish'.

The report noted children achieve better in school here than the national average of children in care, but the percentage of care leavers in education, employment and training is below that of those nationally.

It hailed the council's approach to adoption as 'aspirational', adding: "Social workers and managers demonstrate a ‘never give up’ attitude, which has secured permanence for some children who have been difficult to place.

"Children live in safe and stable arrangements with carers who promote their interests and provide opportunities for new activities.

"This enables children to enjoy life."

To view the full report click here.