Generation 'let down' by poor children's services

Children were seriously harmed after they were left in unsafe conditions for too long by inadequate children's social care services, inspectors have found.

Slough Children First (SCF), which is owned by Slough Borough Council, failed to provide the fundamental basics consistently, Ofsted said.

Its performance was found to have deteriorated since a previous inspection in 2023 and funding "falls far short of what is required to adequately resource services", the regulator added.

The council apologised and its leader said the services, rated inadequate or requiring improvement for 15 years, have "let down" a generation of children.

Ofsted found there were "widespread and serious weaknesses" in the service's help and protection services, while some older children or young adults did not receive "timely, purposeful or effective support".

A churn in social workers led to children's action plans "drifting", sometimes for months or even years, while leaders' grip of issues affecting "the most vulnerable children" was "very weak".

Previously performance was reliant on "overly optimistic and incorrect information, which led to the scale of problems going undetected", inspectors added.

While the relationship between the council and SCF is improving, it is "still not an effective arrangement".

Despite the "long legacy of instability in leadership", which has undermined progress, Ofsted found some improvements or pockets of good performance in some areas, including children who go missing.

Wal Chahal, the council's leader, said: "These are not new issues; these services have been rated inadequate or requiring improvement for 15 years. That is a generation of children who have been let down.

"Our focus is change, with Slough Borough Council, Slough Children's First, officers, members, families and communities working together to safeguard the futures of children in Slough."

Puja Bedi, the council's lead member for children, said: "This report is highly critical of how the service has been and, on behalf of the council, I want to apologise for not doing well enough for all the children who have needed us.

"Staff are working for Slough children with dedication and focus but we continue to grapple with high demand, very high caseloads and complex needs in a complex town."