A NUMBER of actions is set to be taken to improve children's services in Southampton.

Additional staff members have been employed and new experts are being recruited in a bid to improve social services in the city, it has been confirmed.

It comes as an Ofsted report published today found that Southampton City Council has made progress and improved the quality of work for children.

But workloads for social workers are "too high" and "too many" care leavers are not in touch with their personal advisers and are not in education, employment or training.

It comes as inspectors said the impact of the pandemic on the education of some children is yet to be assessed.

Southampton City Council said the ability to visit all children during the pandemic has been challenging but this is being addressed.

Talking about the support for care leavers it added: "Additional personal advisors had already been recruited and started within the service immediately after the inspection and contact with care leavers was reviewed, with close management oversight.

"Face to face contact has been the norm since April and is increasing. We have an audit process in place to ensure progress is being made.

"The education, training and employment achievements for care leavers is a challenge, mirroring the national picture, but service performance is scrutinised through the local Corporate Parenting Committee."

More staff to work with care leavers are also being recruited.

The council said it has launched a new workforce academy and practice framework.

It comes as a new director of children's service was appointed last year after a whistleblowing complaint led to an independent report which revealed a number of "failings" within the service.

The council said: "We are working hard on building strong relationships between staff and senior management, after the whistleblowing incident in 2019 and we are pleased that staff feedback to Ofsted reflected our efforts here.

"We have launched an ambitious improvement plan and service redesign. Similarly, we are pleased that Ofsted described our plans as ‘credible’ and coherent but we are realistic that it will take time to see the changes that we need to see in some areas of our service.

"Social worker caseloads are fluctuating but we anticipate that these will begin to improve as we recruit more staff. We are now seeing a steady flow of new social workers joining us and this is really positive."

The council said to be strenghtening performance analysis in respect of child in need and child protection planning.

A new performance manager started in the service in March this year.