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Leeds City Council’s fostering service is good and getting better according to inspectors.
Following an inspection last month, the latest Ofsted report stated that all aspects of the fostering service were rated as good, which resulted in an overall rating of ‘good’ – a huge two point rise since last year, when it was rated as ‘inadequate’.
Inspectors commented that the council’s fostering service is:
“a strong service that provides good outcomes for children. It is well managed by an authority that is committed to its continued improvement. A significant investment of resources and management input has resulted in significant improvements and demonstrates a strong capacity to improve further.”
Councillor Judith Blake, executive member responsible for children’s services said:
 “This is a fantastic achievement thanks to the hard work and dedication of a great team of people who go the extra mile on a daily basis for the city’s most vulnerable children and young people.
“It is especially pleasing that the inspectors commented that the service has a strong capacity for further improvement, however we will not rest on our laurels, there is still work to be done and further improvements to be made. “
The report highlighted that the fostering service works very effectively with health and education services, which helps produce some very good outcomes for children and young people in the city. Children are supported to have appropriate contact with family members and arrangements to help them in the transition to adulthood work well.
Inspectors commented that new developments within the fostering team supports the more effective recruitment of foster carers and assessments of new carers are thorough and of a good standard.
At the last inspection the council was asked to do a number of things to improve the service it provides, the report acknowledges that “all these matters have been given rigorous and thorough attention by the fostering service and have all been addressed fully and comprehensively. These, along with other developments and improvements, have resulted in a service that is much improved and meets children's needs well.”
Cllr Blake added:
“Just over a year ago this was a service with an ‘inadequate’ rating. It has been through joint endeavour, a commitment to quality, a willingness to change and the desire to improve the lives of the children and young people in our care, which has driven such impressive and speedy improvement.”
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Fostering Success
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