Adoption services at Slough Children’s Services Trust rated ‘Good’ by Ofsted

An inspection by Ofsted of Slough Children’s Services Trust as a Voluntary Adoption Agency has rated the service as ‘Good’ citing that children flourish, staff are enthusiastic about their work and children are the priority.

The inspectors, who visited the Trust between 29 October and 2 November, reported that prospective and current adopters said they chose Slough Children’s Services Trust as they felt welcomed and highly valued from their first contact. Good quality information about all aspects of adoption, and informative preparation courses helped make the decision to continue their journey towards adopting a child.

The inspection also found that the Trust’s thorough arrangements for finding and matching parents with children ensured that well-considered matches were made, and the support provided to children and adoptive families helped them overcome any difficulties they experienced.

‘My husband and I adopted our two beautiful children through Slough Children’s Service Trust and I can honestly say we have received an above and beyond service from them at every step of the way,’ said Neil, an adopter through the Trust. ‘Our social worker has been available day and night for support if we have needed it. I would have no qualms about recommending the Trust to anyone who was considering embarking upon this path.’

The inspectors highlighted the good working relationships with children’s social workers and foster carers which made sure that each child had a good start in their adoptive family. The inspectors also noted that the virtual school supported adoptive parents to provide children with early and sustained opportunities to explore and to learn from their world.

‘We are extremely pleased with this report as it shows some of the great results we are achieving for disadvantaged and vulnerable children in Slough. It’s particularly good to see that the report has recognised that children under this service flourish – we don’t just want children to be okay, we want them to thrive,’ said Chief Executive Lisa Humphreys.

‘I am very proud of the dedication and passion shown by my team, and I’m delighted to see that their enthusiasm for their work and the children they care for was reflected in the report.

‘We know we have more work to do, and we would never be complacent about the challenges we still face, but a ‘Good’ rating from Ofsted shows how hard this organisation is working to improve the futures young people and families in Slough,’ she added.