Positive Ofsted report for Trafford Children's Social Care

Trafford Council has welcomed the findings of its recent inspection of children’s social care.

Inspectors looked at the local authority’s arrangements for achieving ‘permanence’ (i.e. finding a permanent family) in accordance with the inspection of local authority’s children’s services framework (ILACS). Specifically, they considered children whose permanence was secured by return to family, and through adoption, connected carers, long-term fostering and residential care.

Whilst on site, the inspectors spoke with social workers and viewed information about the performance of children’s social care, including the self-evaluation.

Key findings of the inspection include:

• Trafford are implementing a strong whole system approach to permanence, including early permanence. Early positive impact for children is evident through increasing numbers of children being adopted and being made subject to special guardianships.
• Multi-agency working is strong and effective. There is a clear joint focus on achieving improved outcomes for children.
• The local authority has developed a strong suite of performance data to support permanence work.
• Children with a plan for adoption benefit from tenacious family finding, child-centred life story work, and later life letters.
• Senior leaders have developed services to support achieving improved permanence outcomes for children. They have reviewed structures to create defined roles to promote permanence for children.

The report highlights actions for the Council, which will be swiftly completed:

• Updating children’s assessments - to ensure that planning for children is informed by full analysis of children’s current circumstances and timely decision-making continues for children cared for by connected persons through SGO’s, including IRO oversight to minimise drift and delay.
• Support for all children with a plan for permanence to understand their journey and history by ensuring there is a consistent and planned approach to direct work.
• Further development and training to improve the efficiency of the fostering panel. 

Councillor Jane Baugh, Executive Member for Children’s services said:  “I am delighted that Ofsted has recognised the great work of our Children’s services teams and I would like to thank all of the staff involved for their dedication, commitment and hard work that goes into providing these services in Trafford. We can always find ways of improvement and will ensure that any actions highlighted are swiftly implemented to strengthen children’s social care in Trafford even further”.