SOMERSET'S Children's Services is making "satisfactory progress" since its latest inadequate inspection says Ofsted. 

The service was given the lowest possible rating in February 2015 and has since been visited four times by the inspection body. 

The latest monitoring visit took place on August 22 and 23. 

Inspections Emmy Tomsett and Jow Howick found that the service was making "satisfactory progress" from its low starting point in improving services for care leavers and disabled children. 

During the visit, the inspectors reviewed the authority's progress in areas including the range and access to suitable accommodation for care leavers and the quality of social work practice for disabled children, including management, oversight and supervision. 

Emmy Tomsett, inspector, said: "Senior managers have appropriately prioritised improving frontline services for disabled children and care leavers. 

"Steady progress has been made in implementing the recommendations for care leaver services made at the previous inspection. 

"Consequently, improvements across the service are now contributing to sustained better outcomes for care leavers."

The report outlined how the authority had improved its engagement of care-leavers by using lines of communication between the Children in Care Council, Somerset Leaving Care Council and the corporate parenting board. 

It stated that the number of care-leavers in education, training and employment is increasing, but further improvements need to be made keeping up with the leavers' health needs. 

"Young people receive a timely introduction and service from the care leavers’ team, enabling effective joint working with social workers and personal advisers as the care leavers move towards independence and adulthood," inspector Tomsett added.

"Almost all care leavers benefit from a greater and better-quality choice of accommodation. However, improvements in ensuring that care leavers are supported to meet their own health needs have not kept pace with other parts of the service."

The report praised the timeliness of the council's design of the 'pathways' plan but stated that the plan itself was "generally poor" and difficult for young people to read. 

A spokesman for Somerset County Council said: “Improving outcomes for vulnerable children is the council’s top priority so we are pleased that the latest Ofsted monitoring report has found satisfactory progress being made.

“This follows a letter from the Minister in January recognising ‘significant’ and ‘tangible’ improvements in social work practice, and a report from a February inspection that confirmed improvement is happening at adequate pace.

“Since the last full Ofsted inspection we have reduced caseloads, increased the number of permanent social workers, and there is a revitalised Somerset Safeguarding Children Board which is helping police, health and other key partners worker closer together.

“Consistency of leadership is essential and we now have an almost entirely permanent leadership team, including a Director who has been in place for more than two years.

“We all want progress to be made as fast as possible, but it also has to be sustainable. We have come a long way but fully understand that there is a still a long way to go”.

Click here to read the full report.