In late 2015 OFSTED conducted an inspection of services for children in need of help and protection, children looked after and care leavers, and a review of the effectiveness of the Local Safeguarding Children Board. Services for children provided and delivered by the council, including those in need of help and protection and those looked after, were judged to require improvement. This led to the development of the West Sussex OFSTED Improvement Plan 2016 – 2017, in which the imperative to produce a needs assessment for looked after children was identified. National and local datasets were analysed and the views of service leaders sought. The needs assessment reports on topics such as demographics, legal status, placement characteristics, engagement and voice, health, education and care leavers.