Coventry City Council

This award is open to a single council or where appropriate a partnership of councils, or a council- owned company. Private sector partners can enter on a council’s behalf, with the permission of the council itself. Children’s services are very much under pressure, and ever more so in the face of a cost of living crisis, adding to the numbers of potentially vulnerable children. There is an imperative to protect vulnerable children, the importance of early intervention and the changing relationship with schools – all under an intense media and now social spotlight. This award is intended to recognise the success of those councils that adopt a genuinely strategic approach to this vital service area in the face of extraordinary challenges. Entries can focus either on a specific aspect of the council’s work on children’s services or the entirety of its work on children’s services.

Coventry City Council’s children’s services has been on a major improvement journey with children and families at the heart of everything it does. Judged as inadequate in 2014, there has been an unceasing focus on making things better for vulnerable children, improving their outcomes and making sure their voice is heard. This strategic approach has meant that partnership working has expanded and embedded in Coventry. Outcomes for children have improved immeasurably and has been recognised by Ofsted in a recent inspection. This award would verify the journey made by Coventry and how it has touched children’s lives.