Inspectors published their report last week and rated services in Wolverhampton Good overall. The impact of leaders on social work practice with children and families was judged to be Outstanding, and the experiences and progress of children who need help and protection, children in care and care leavers was assessed as Good.
In a letter to the council's Executive Director of Families Emma Bennett, Ofsted's Yvette Stanley said: "I am writing to personally congratulate you on the outcome of your recent inspection, which saw Wolverhampton hold their judgement of good with the impact of leaders found to be outstanding.
"This is a significant achievement and one which I wanted to acknowledge today. This outcome is testament to your hard work and tenacity, as well as that of the leadership team, managers and frontline staff, the wider council and your safeguarding partners.
"It was particularly pleasing to read 'Senior leaders have not rested on a previous inspection judgement of good. They continue to have a relentless drive to improve the experiences and outcomes for all children in the city’.
"I know you will be already concentrating on the next stages of your improvement journey. Please pass on my congratulations to all colleagues who have contributed to this achievement, as well as extending my thanks to all the staff, children, foster carers and wider stakeholders who participated in the inspection process."
Councillor Beverley Momenabadi, the City of Wolverhampton Council's Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, said: "This is excellent recognition from Ofsted’s National Director for Regulation and Social Care of the efforts of everyone working in Children's Social Care Services to deliver the best possible outcomes for some of our city's most vulnerable children, young people and families."
The inspection took place between 28 March and 1 April and looked at the effectiveness of council services and arrangements to help and protect children, the experiences and progress of children in care, the arrangements for permanence for children who are looked after, and the experiences and progress of care leavers.
The inspection team also evaluated the effectiveness of leaders and managers, the impact they have on the lives of children and young people, and the quality of professional practice.
