"Good" rating for Royal Borough's adoption service

The Royal Borough's adoption service has once again been given a "good" rating for the quality and standard of its provision - with some areas described as "outstanding".

The Ofsted report which follows an inspection carried out in November demonstrates a continuation of the overall good rating achieved at the last inspection in 2007 and also notches up outstanding ratings in two areas:
• helping children to achieve well and enjoy what they do - "intensive, focussed work to help children develop positive relationships with their adopters through the matching and transition process and even after the child is placed"
• helping them to make a positive contribution to the adoption process - consulting with children and listening to their views and "providing a wide range of events and activities for adopted children and their families at which their views can be sought".

Other areas highlighted for special mention include the calibre of staff at all levels - described as "committed, enthusiastic, knowledgeable and skilled"- and the service to birth families - with a "real commitment to involving birth families in the plans for their children".

There is praise too for the service's commitment to protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them to stay safe. The report also notes that progress has been made in areas identified at the last inspection as needing improvement including quality of reports and adopter's checks.

Only two recommendations for improvement have been identified from this latest inspection - the need to address the gap in some staff supervision records and the lack of robust quality monitoring systems - "neither of which negatively impact on the existing positive outcomes for children".

Cllr Eileen Quick, cabinet member for children's services, said: "This report is really good news for everyone involved in the very sensitive process of placing children for adoption and reflects a genuine commitment to making the best possible arrangements for some of the most vulnerable young members of our society.

"I am delighted that we have not only maintained our good rating since our last inspection but we have demonstrated that the Royal Borough provides an exceptionally high quality of service at a potentially unsettling time for both the children and their adoptive families. Thank you to all concerned for making this splendid report possible!"

Cllr Christine Bateson, chairman of the corporate parenting forum, said: "This is the second very good report for our children's services in the last year - the first following on from the unannounced inspection into our safeguarding services for children.

"I was delighted that the inspectors made special mention of our wide range of family-orientated initiatives which they felt went a long way to helping prepare children for either adoption or long-term fostering.

"I would like to thank all the staff involved for their professional and caring approach which has helped to give many children the best possible preparation for their new life."

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