Slough Children First accepts the findings of the focused visit carried out by Ofsted in November 2025, and work is already underway to make improvements.
The inspectors considered the care leavers’ service and arrangements in place for care leavers aged 18-25, focusing on young people with additional needs and at risk of harm in line with the Inspection of Local Authority Children’s Services (ILACS) Framework.
Inspectors commented that the virtual school staff showed a commitment to support care leavers’ needs and have been successful in increasing the number of care leavers in Education, Employment and Training (EET).
Their Young Person’s Advisors (YPAs) are generally supportive in helping young people to become more independent; they find the right balance between support and encouragement while facilitating young people to learn to live independently.
Ofsted highlighted that the lead practitioner for Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children (UASC) brings specialist knowledge and expertise in this area, and that the individual needs of Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Care Leavers are met, for example, by enrolling them onto an English language course.
However, the service was criticised for not keeping in touch with some young people appropriately enough to ensure their welfare and safety. In addition, the quality and timeliness of pathway plans and supervision are inconsistent, and some staff reported low morale.
Sue Butcher, Director of Children’s Services and Chief Executive of Slough Children First, said: “Following the ILACS focused visit, we are pleased to hear that Ofsted had positive findings; however, we understand that there are significant areas that need to be addressed. We are committed to addressing the recommendations to ensure that those working with our care leavers service develop their practice and that our young people get the best support possible to help them thrive.”
Cllr Puja Bedi, Lead Member for Education and Children’s Services, said: “A big thank you to all our dedicated staff who work within our care leavers’ service, and supporting services. There were many positives which should be celebrated, despite the improvement areas Ofsted recommended. I am confident that the teams will continue their good work and rise to the challenge of heeding the improvement recommendations to provide the best possible support for our care leavers.”
Recommendations made in the report include improving:
- management oversight, including the supervision of staff
- performance management and quality assurance arrangements
- the consistency of planning for care leavers
- reviewing workers’ caseloads, to ensure they have sufficient time to enable stronger and more consistent practice with care leavers.
A plan is in place to achieve these outcomes.