The amount of complaints made about children’s services in Reading has been revealed as the company which provides these services is due to be closed.
Children’s services are a statutory duty that councils must provide.
The services cover caring for children in foster homes, making suitable education plans for children with special needs and disabilities, and organising school transport.
In Reading, children’s services are run on the council’s behalf by Brighter Futures for Children (BFfC), a company that was set up in 2018 after the council’s children’s services received an ‘Inadequate’ Ofsted rating.
In a year, 57 complaints were made about children’s services according to figures from 2023/24.
Although 75 complaints were received in total, 17 were resolved informally through alternative dispute resolution, and one was withdrawn by the complainant.
Of the 57 formally responded to, 42 were about the quality of service provided or received, 26 were about staff conduct and six were made due to communications issues.
Many of the complaints made had multiple outcomes.
Of the 57 complaints formally responded to, 40 had multiple outcomes.
Seven of the complaints were upheld, two were partially upheld, six were not upheld and two had no outcome.
The total number of complaints year on year was reduced by nine, from 66 in 2022/23 to 57 in 2023/24.
The statistics feature in a report by Nayana George, the council’s information rights service manager.
The report on these complaints will presented to the council’s adult social care, children’s services and education committee on Wednesday, January 15.
The figures come as BFfC is due to be wound up with children’s services being brought back under the council’s control on March 31, 2026.
An ultimate decision to bring the services back in-house will be made during a full council meeting on January 28.
