Watchdogs have completed their inspection into whether services for the county's most vulnerable children are good enough.

Inspectors from the Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills spent two weeks scrutinising Norfolk County Council's children's services department.

The inspection is hugely important to the Conservative-controlled council, which wants to prove to Ofsted that essential services have improved.

The council is expecting to find out the ratings Ofsted has awarded the department in January.

The council's children's services department was rated inadequate in 2013 and 2015.

In 2017, the service was judged as requiring improvement - a step up from previous years, with the adoption services rated as outstanding.

In 2019, in a focused inspection, watchdogs said so-called front door services for children had "been transformed", but that 'significant shortfalls' remain in other areas of practice.

A further, two-day focused inspection in 2021 led to praise from inspectors over how most children in care in Norfolk are being looked after.

While the full Ofsted inspection of the children's services department is complete, another, separate team is still at County Hall.

Inspectors from Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission are checking progress on services for children with special educational needs (SEND).

In 2020, watchdogs raised "significant concerns about the effectiveness" of those services.

Those concerns included long waiting times for diagnoses, poor access to services and "chronic weaknesses" in meeting deadlines for completing education, health and care plans.

The revisit will look at the progress and impact of actions taken since that critical report.

Eastern Daily Press: John Fisher, Norfolk County Council cabinet member for children's servicesJohn Fisher, Norfolk County Council cabinet member for children's services

John Fisher, the council's cabinet member for children’s services, said: "We know there is much still to do but, as a council, we continue to invest more in provision and better services to support SEND children and families."

Eastern Daily Press: Rebecca HulmeRebecca Hulme (Image: NHS Great Yarmouth and Waveney CCG)

Rebecca Hulme, associate director for children, young people and maternity for Norfolk County Council and the integrated care board, said: "We look forward to building further on the progress we have made working as a system, that includes our children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities and their families."