Bradford children's services seeing improvements, but still more to do
Ofsted has published its latest report after Bradford's children's social care services were put into special measures
Last updated 13th Dec 2023
Children's social care services in Bradford are showing some 'early signs' of improvement but there are still some challenges according to the latest report from Ofsted.
It's the watchdog's second visit since the services were judged inadequate and subsequently transferred to Bradford Children and Families Trust on 1st April 2023.
The visit took place in November and focused on child in need assessment and planning and child protection practice.
In a letter published on the Ofsted website, inspectors said the Trust “has a detailed understanding of the issues that need improvement in child in need and child protection planning, which is enabling more targeted and recent improvement activity.”
Inspectors highlighted several areas showing improvement, including services received by disabled children who are subject to child in need and child protection plans.
But it also said the 'long history of inadequate practice' means there is still a very high number of children subject to child in need and child protection plans, many unnecessarily so. This has resulted in 'drift and delay' for some children having their needs and risks identified and responded to, and has also meant children have been subjected to multiple and unnecessary interventions.
The Trust says it is now working with staff and partner agencies to change this and ensure that, where safe to do so, children are not subjected to unnecessary processes.
The report adds that there are several new initiatives which are being implemented and senior leaders acknowledge that these haven't had a significant impact on wider practice yet.
Eileen Milner, Chair of the Bradford and Families Trust, said: “The outcome of this latest visit from Ofsted shows that we are making progress in the crucial areas of children in need and child protection. I want to thank all the staff who are working so hard to make these improvements. It is good to hear from inspectors that our social workers are positive about working for Bradford and feel more settled, and better supported with their work.
“Our mangers have gone to great efforts with everyone in the Trust to make sure we are clear about our values when it comes to working with children and families. It is good to see this is recognised by Ofsted. It is an important aspect of our work that we will continue to develop so our staff can deliver the best services for children across the district.”
Cllr Sue Duffy, Bradford Council’s portfolio holder for children and families, said: “Nothing is more important than keeping children in the district safe, so the findings from this Ofsted visit which focused on the child in need and child protection are encouraging. It is good to see that some services for children and families are improving. We know that there is still much more to do and inspectors have highlighted areas the Trust still needs to strengthen. Many of the new initiatives that it has put in place are in their early stages, but the improvement we have seen so far gives the Trust a positive platform on which to build.”