Ofsted boost for fostering services

EXTRA funding has helped improve fostering services in Warrington and resulted in a satisfactory result from Ofsted.
The borough council’s fostering services were revisited by an inspector who found services had improved following extra funding and changes to the structure and organisation.
The inspector judged four of the six outcomes as sound, and the remaining two key areas of “helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do” and “helping children make a positive contribution” as good.
He also reported the service effectively promotes the power of education to children in care. As a result those in Warrington achieve much better outcomes than the national average for those who are in local authority care.
The inspector visited foster families and spoke to social workers and young people in care and found the service was well managed and provided children and young people with safe foster homes, where they are well looked after.
Coun Keith Bland, (pictured) deputy leader of the borough council, said: “I would like to thank everyone involved in our fostering service for their hard work, professionalism and dedication in achieving this positive result.
“We will look to address the recommendations made in this report to further improve the service we provide for the children in our care and the foster carers who look after them. They deserve the best and we are determined to give them that.”
Several other recommendations to further improve the service were made, although the significant progress since the last inspection was recognised.
The organisation and structure of the council’s services to children has changed considerably within the last 12 months, says Coun Bland, and there has been a substantial injection of funding to improve the safeguarding service as a whole.