‘Compassionate’ Brent social workers praised by Ofsted for ‘strong relationships’ with families

Brent Council’s Children’s Services team was rated ‘Good’ following a recent inspection by the education watchdog

A North London council has been praised for its “continuous improvement” to ensure children in care in the borough benefit from “responsive, compassionate social work”.

The education watchdog said the local authority offers “targeted early help” to prevent issues escalating but stressed that children’s previous history needs more consideration in decision-making.

An Ofsted inspection into Brent Council’s Children’s Services department found children and their families are making positive progress, whilst the leadership helps provide a “strong and stable foundation”.

The report, published last week (June 17) following an inspection in April, highlighted a number of strengths with the leadership team, as well as effective support for disabled children and young people, and strong relationships between carers and families.

Cabinet Member for Children’s Services, Employment and Climate Action, Cllr Jake Rubin, described the ‘Good’ rating across all four judgements – leadership, help and protection, children in care and care leavers – as a “significant achievement” and said it reflects years of hard work.

The last inspection of the borough’s children’s services in 2023 was also largely positive, where the local authority provision was also judged as ‘Good’. Ofsted recognised the positive progress being made for children, young people and their families across the borough.

The report highlighted quick responses when safeguarding concerns are raised, strong relationships between social workers and families, effective partnership working, effective support for disabled children and young people, and “tenacious, relationship-based help” for children at risk of exploitation.

Inspectors also found that many children in care benefit from stable foster placements and regular visits from social workers, while care leavers value the practical and emotional support provided by their personal advisers.

What does the borough need to do better?

Ofsted also identified areas for improvement, including strengthening children’s understanding of their own life stories and the management oversight of children who may require intervention from the Family Court. The leadership team welcomed the findings, adding that they remain “focused on continuous improvement” and will now develop an action plan in response to the inspection findings.

Cllr Rubin said: “This Good rating is a significant achievement and reflects the dedication of our social workers, foster carers, partners and staff, who work every day to support children, young people and families across Brent.” “We are proud of the progress recognised by Ofsted, but we know there is more to do. I know our dedicated staff and partners are ambitious to constantly improve the support they provide. We will build on our strengths, address the areas identified for improvement, and continue working to deliver the best possible services and outcomes for every child and young person in our borough.”

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