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I have quoted below directly the first two paragraphs of the OFSTED findings;
There are widespread and serious failures in the services provided to children who need help and protection in Tower Hamlets. As a result, too many children remain in situations of actual or potential harm for too long. Insufficient scrutiny by the chief executive, the director of children’s services (DCS) and politicians has meant that they did not know about the extent of the failures to protect children until this inspection. In the majority of cases referred to them by inspectors, managers and leaders had to take immediate action to ensure that children were safe, that their needs were met and that plans to safeguard them were progressed appropriately. In addition, as a result of identifying current risks to children, inspectors requested that the local authority review several aspects of the service urgently, including private fostering arrangements, care leavers in custody, the arrangements for the Public Law Outline (PLO) and the psychosocial team meetings.
Services for children in care or who need to be adopted and those for young people leaving care are not yet good enough. Some services have significantly deteriorated since the last inspection of children’s services published in 2012, when the local authority was found to be good overall with outstanding features. The DCS took up an interim position in July 2015 before her permanent appointment in March 2016. Despite uncovering a deeply worrying picture regarding the services provided to children, there has been insufficient rigour by senior leaders in challenging weak management oversight. When changes have occurred, progress has been limited or not sustained, and improvements remain fragile. Senior leaders have accepted the inspection findings and are determined to improve outcomes for children.
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