Fewer children going into care, report finds

Northamptonshire Children's Trust has made improvements since its 2022 inspection, Ofsted says

A new report has found fewer children are entering care in Northamptonshire following improvements made by social services.

Ofsted inspectors visited Northamptonshire Children's Trust, the organisation that oversees services in the county, and highlighted progress since its last inspection in 2022.

The improvements identified in the report included a more stable workforce, better-quality assessments and fewer children placed in unregistered homes.

Julian Wooster, chairman of the trust, said reducing the number of children going into care had been a "key focus for us".

Northamptonshire Children's Trust is located at One Angel Square in Northampton

Inspectors carried out the "focused report" in April - whereby they examine particular aspects of the service.

The report noted that more children were staying safely with parents or other family through kinship arrangements.

Kinship arrangements are when an extended family member or close friend is checked to make sure they can care for a child, instead of the child entering foster care.

For those who do enter care, most now moved into homes or foster placements that met their needs - the report said.

Social workers were also getting better at making sure children in care find a stable, permanent home, without unnecessary delays, inspectors added.

"Most children in care enjoy positive relationships with consistent social workers who know them well," said Ofsted inspector Rachel Griffiths.

"Social workers speak about the children they support with pride and warmth."

'Momentum'

Northamptonshire Children's Trust delivers care on behalf of West Northamptonshire Council and North Northamptonshire Council.

It was set up in 2020 after the previous service was rated as inadequate.

A serious case review had already concluded that the previous service failed to protect two children who were murdered.

Kathryn Shaw, from West Northamptonshire Council, said: "Ofsted has acknowledged the strong and steady focus on making things better - especially the progress we've made in creating more stability across the workforce.

"We're committed to keeping that momentum going."

Inspectors flagged areas needing improvement, such as delays in securing permanent placements for some children, inconsistencies in case recording, and managerial oversight.

Mr Wooster said the teams were "committed" to addressing these issues.