We are excited to announce that following an Ofsted inspection of Breakaway (Slough Children First’s short breaks home) in March, Slough Children First have achieved its first ‘outstanding’ from Ofsted.
Breakaway’s last inspection was in February 2024, where they were rated ‘good’ in all areas.
In Breakaway’s recent inspection, Ofsted acknowledged that children’s individual needs are highly considered, praising staff for spending quality time with the children and going the extra mile for them and their families. ‘Each child’s unique communication style is carefully documented and shared, and their voices are heard and understood. Staff excel in supporting children to express their views, wishes and feelings through a diverse range of communication methods.’
Inspectors found that: ‘Children receive exemplary, high-quality care from a dedicated and compassionate staff team. Staff meticulously ensure that they provide tailored care that meets every child’s complex needs.’
They also said ‘the staff team is committed to providing each child with high-quality, personalised care.
It was observed that there is a high level of engagement, including with children playing together and engaging in a variety of enriching activities that they enjoy in a positive atmosphere.
Ofsted also recognised that celebrations are important at Breakaway, including birthdays and religious and cultural celebrations, noting that children share meals and celebrate their birthdays and achievements together, which adds to the home’s family ethos.’
Sue Butcher, Executive Director of Children’s Services and Chief Executive of Slough Children First, said: “This is a truly remarkable achievement for all involved and the first time that an organisation in Slough that is not an education provider, has been rated ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted. I am beyond proud of the Breakaway team, supporting staff and agencies for going above and beyond with our children and young people at our children’s short breaks home, helping them to thrive.”
Saima Arif, Head of Regulated Services and Responsible Individual at Slough Children First said: “This is an amazing achievement for Slough Children First and for the whole of Slough as well. Since the last inspection, where we were rated ‘good’ in all areas, we wanted to ensure that we continued to deliver a great service for our families and improved on areas recommended. A special thank you to Ranbir Sidhu, who has worked hard with the team to achieve this excellent result. We will continue to put all our effort into ensuring that the service provided at Breakaway continues to be outstanding.”
Councillor Puja Bedi, Lead Member for Education and Children’s Services said: “An Outstanding rating from Ofsted is an amazing achievement for all the Breakaway staff and the wider team. It was a joy to read the Inspector’s findings in the report, especially that Breakaway is such a positive, caring environment for a short break stay. It is clear that the needs of each individual child who stays at Breakaway are the centre of everything the service provides and are catered to, to an extremely high standard. Thank you to all the team who have worked so hard to achieve this result.”
Other findings in the report included:
- The great care and attention staff show the children has led to secure, trusting relationships.
- Staff have created a positive space where children feel safe and valued.
- Children’s learning outcomes are very good and they all enjoy and attend school
- regularly.
- Staff are thoroughly trained in medication administration, supported by robust systems that rigorously monitor its use.
- The building is safe and secure, and there are no health and safety issues.
We are pleased that there were no requirements or recommendations raised at this inspection. Ofsted have now published the report, available to read on their website.
