IT’S GOOD, and that’s official. Reading-based fostering service Brighter Futures for Children (BFfC) is celebrating success following a recent Ofsted inspection.
Inspectors awarded a ‘Good’ rating to the three key areas: overall experience of children and young people, how well children and young people are helped and protected and the effectiveness of leaders and managers.
Published earlier this month, the report covers all aspects of the agency, and follows on from a previous inspection in February 2020, which said it required improvements to reach the good status.
The inspectors, who visited between January 18 and 24, found that children in care have a sense of permanence and stability and are well matched to foster carers who have the relevant experience and skills to care for them.
Their report notes: “Their lives are enhanced by the care and nurture that fostering families give. This is because supervising social workers and foster carers advocate on their behalf and ensure that children’s needs are put first.”
And foster carers are praised for going above and beyond what is expected of them to ensure children see their family and friends, which helps them develop secure and trusting relationships.
Despite the pandemic, foster carers enabled children to meet up with family and friends safely by organising picnics and outside activities.
And helping this is BFfC, including additional training, access to specialist clinical advice and support groups which, inspectors say, has resulted in children’s lives being enhanced and their voices heard.
BFfC is a not-for-profit fostering service that operates on behalf of Reading Borough Council.
The report says its management arrangements have recently been strengthened. It says: “There is a clear vision for the service which is ambitious and forward-thinking. Positive outcomes for children and support for foster carers has already improved.”
Di Smith, Board Chair of Brighter Futures for Children, said she was delighted with the inspection’s results.
“I am particularly pleased the inspectors have highlighted how everyone involved in the fostering service has played a part in its improvement,” she said.
“The IFA staff, management, foster carers, supervising social workers and other professionals are all working together to achieve the best possible outcomes for Reading children.
“While we are very pleased with this finding, we will continue to focus on further, long-term improvements to the service we offer.
“I would like to thank everyone involved for their hard work and commitment and invite anyone thinking about becoming a foster carer in Reading to come and join the team.”
This view was echoed by Cllr Liz Terry, Reading Borough Council’s lead councillor for children’s services, who wanted to add her congratulations to the team.
“Our foster carers do an incredible job looking after vulnerable children and young people in Reading and it is vital they have the support they need from the IFA,” she said.
“Of course, there is no room for complacency and we will continue to work together to ensure the improvements seen so far continue in the future for the benefit of all Reading’s children in care.”
BFfC is seeking more foster carers. Anyone wanting to find out more can log on to: www.readingfostering.co.uk, call: 0118 469 3020, or email: foster@brighterfuturesforchildren.org
