Ealing Council failing children at risk says Ofsted

Ealing Council offices

Regulator says Council needs to take ‘urgent action’ to safeguard children

Ofsted, the government body which inspects and regulates education, training, and children’s social care services, has urgently referred Ealing Council to the Department of Education over inconsistent safeguarding of children.

In a letter to the Council dated 31 July the regulator gives Ealing 20 days to lay out an action plan to meet its failure to provide a ‘timely and effective response’ in dealing with ‘at risk’ children.

They say there has been inconsistent safeguarding of children, especially those at risk of domestic or sexual abuse and those liable to physical harm or neglect, many of which occur in the home environment, criticising the lack of consistent risk and safety plans, absence of mitigations and delays when a speedy resolution was required.

They highlight that urgent action is needed to ensure that children at risk were supported in a consistent and joined up manner across a number of teams.

This is not the first time the Council has been criticised for its poor social services provision.

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‘Significant gaps in the response to children who are referred to the local authority in Ealing’

Ofsted inspectors visited Ealing Children’s Services on 24 and 25 June.

Inspectors Zafer Yilkan and Naintara Khosla wrote:

‘There are significant gaps in the response to children who are referred to the local authority in Ealing because they may be in need or at risk of harm…

‘A significant number of children and young people do not have their needs met at the right time or at the right level, and some children remain in situations of unassessed risk or without effective help to meet their needs.

‘Children experience delay in professionals responding to their presenting needs and tackling known risks. For some children, child protection strategy meetings are not convened or are delayed, and child protection enquiries are not always completed when children’s needs and risks warrant them’.

The damning report also criticises the Council’s supervision and management oversight.

Library image; AdobeStock

‘When children have experienced, or may be at risk of, sexual abuse, responses are not consistently robust or effective’

With particular reference to sexual abuse, the report says:

‘When children have experienced, or may be at risk of, sexual abuse, responses are not consistently robust or effective.

‘Sexual assault referral centre medicals are not routinely considered or sufficiently utilised when children disclose sexual abuse orreport sexual assault.

‘Concerns about adults who may pose a risk of sexual harm to children do not consistently lead to child protection strategy meetings being held, and children may continue to have contact with high-risk individuals.

‘Risk and safety plans are not routinely in place’.

Commenting on elected politicians’ role in this, the inspectors go on to say:

‘Ealing Council’s corporate and political leaders are passionate about doing what is right for children. Leaders are committed to ensuring that children get the best start in life. Leaders are strong advocates for children, and support for children’s services is a key corporate priority’.

However they also say:

‘Leaders have had some awareness of inconsistencies in practice, but quality assurance processes have not picked up the full extent of the failings or led to sustained improvement’.

The Chiswick Calendar has asked Ealing Council to explain why this is and what they intend to do about it.

Ealing Council has also come in for  criticism recently from the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman’s office. In 2025-26 they upheld 37 complaints against the Council, more than twice the number they upheld the previous year.

READ ALSO: There is a ‘once-in-a-generation’ chance to fix broken public services says Local Government Ombudsman

Cllr Gary Malcolm

Meanwhile Opposition Leader Cllr Gary Malcolm, who represents Chiswick’s Southfield ward on Ealing Council, gave us this statement on Ofsted’s report:

“Liberal Democrats say these delays in addressing the urgent safety of children at risk, together with lack of a consistent, coordinated and joined up approach across the council and its partners exposes the lack of leadership and complacency of Ealing Labour, who have been in power for over sixteen years!

“Ofsted’s explicit mention a lack of leadership is damning. This shows that the words of Ealing Labour do not translate into action rather they are empty and hollow at the expense of our children and their future.”

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