Calderdale Council wins Ofsted approval for services finding homes for children in care (21 August 2017)

Calderdale Council in West Yorkshire has said that an Ofsted inspection found looked after children who are waiting for a new family were well supported by Calderdale Council’s Children’s Services team.

Officials from Ofsted visited the council in June 2017 to inspect the local authority’s arrangements for finding long-term homes for local looked after children and young people.

The council opted to take part in the pilot being developed by Ofsted to test new arrangements for the inspection of children’s social care services.

Inspectors examined the effectiveness of the council throughout the adoption process, including checking children find an appropriate permanent new home quickly, while taking into account their feelings and those of the families involved.

The inspection found that the council had strong management, with good oversight of cases and good planning – which is helping to reduce delays finding children a new family.

The local authority is also making improvements to the process so that it is faster and more effective.

Ofsted also recognised that “the local authority is determined to find the right long-term home for children” – and that the council “works hard” to make sure that children stay in contact with their siblings and friends.

The team is in also contact with family members throughout the process, so that if a suitable home can be found with a relative, this is identified very early in the process.

Ofsted also found that social workers regularly spent time with the children they were placing, so they had a good understanding through observation of their wishes and feelings – even when the child was too young to be able to speak.

The children are also able to influence the decisions which affect them and their future.

Where there is a risk that the placement may break down, social workers will increase their visits to children and carers to provide extra support.

Inspectors saw evidence that there were “solid working relationships between the local authority, the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service and the courts”, resulting in care proceedings being, in the main, completed quickly.

Calderdale Council’s Cabinet Member for Children and Young People’s Services, Councillor Megan Swift, said:

“Unfortunately there are some children who are not able to live with their birth family, so finding them a permanent home where they feel cared for and safe is a priority for us.

“We want all our looked after children to find the right adoptive parents quickly, so they can feel settled and continue to thrive.

“I’m delighted on behalf of the team that Ofsted has recognised this during the inspection – and that the service has received such positive findings.

“The feedback from the report has given us clear guidance on where we can make the service even better – and we’ll work hard now to put these improvements in place.”

The findings recommend that the council’s Children’s Services team focuses on finding permanent homes for children who have more complex and challenging needs, as these placements often take longer.

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