Ofsted praise Doncaster children’s services

The two-day visit specifically focussed on the council’s arrangements for planning and achieving early permanence for children who come into care, including adoption. The inspectors looked at a range of evidence to understand the child’s experience when they first come into care, including young people’s records and discussions with staff at all levels. They also looked at the service’s performance management and quality assurance information.

Ofsted reported that since the last inspection in February 2022, where the timeliness of permanence was judged as an area for improvement, there has been a ‘relentless focus on service improvement for children and families.’

In the report Ofsted states: “Children come into care at the right time for them. Decision-making is swift and includes senior management oversight. This is well documented on children’s records and explains clearly why these measures are necessary.”

Inspectors praised workers for ‘reducing the likelihood of delay for the child’ by focusing on finding permanence for the child, exploring a range of options and undertaking appropriate assessments simultaneously. In addition, the inspectors remarked positively on the effort of workers to invest time in getting to know their children and understanding their wishes, feelings and what matters to them.

The inspection team found well-supported staff who spoke positively about the working environment where leaders are visible and personable and take the time to speak with workers about the children they are supporting. Inspectors added: “Leaders have strengthened their line of sight and management grip around children’s care planning, which is resulting in children achieving more timely planning.”

Feedback from Ofsted highlighted how services that support early permanence could further improve the consistency of plans for children but recognised that ‘leaders have already identified this as an area to improve and have meaningful plans in place to address this’.

Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Early Help, Young People and Children’s Social Care, Cllr Lani-Mae Ball, said: “I am incredibly proud to hear the positive feedback from inspectors about the hard work of our teams to find early permanence for our children coming into care.

“The report has highlighted the positive progress being made in this area and the dedication of our staff to keep the best interests of our children at the heart of everything we do. I was pleased that the inspectors cited how the work of our teams ‘is making a positive difference for children’ and is helping more children to live closer to the people and places they know.

“These visits are a welcome opportunity to review our practice and identify areas we can strengthen further, so we can provide the best support for our children coming into care.”

Ofsted will take the findings from the focussed visit into account when planning the next inspection or visit.

The full report is available on the Ofsted website.