Ofsted praise for Croydon Adoption services

Pic: FromcollettewithloveCroydon adoption services are committed to “improving outcomes for children”, according to an Ofsted report published this week.

Mike Stapley, inspector, said that staff “have a real determination to ‘get it right’ for children in Croydon” and praised them for a realistic but humane approach to their work.

Stapley reported that over the last year 60 per cent of children have been placed within 12 months time, marking an improvement since the last inspection in March 2012.

The service recruits and assesses adoptive families, matching them to children who wait for adoption in the borough. Ofsted rates services as on their overall effectiveness, outcomes for children, quality of service, safeguards and management. Croydon received a rating of “good” in every aspect, which is  “a service of high quality that exceeds minimum requirements”.

Councillor Tim Pollard, cabinet member for children, families and learning, said: “This report is extremely welcome and is a credit to the hard work of many staff, particularly our frontline junior managers, who I know are 100 per cent committed to making adoption work for every adopted child and every adoptive family.

“Finding a permanent and secure home for every single child in need of adoption is our number one priority when it comes to children in our care. The message that this excellent report gives to people who are considering adopting is very clear. Come and register with Croydon and we will do everything we possibly can to match you with a child – or even, maybe, siblings – so that you can take them into your family and help them reach their potential.”

A Department for Education map showed in January that no more than 27 children waited for adoption in the borough.

ELL boroughs Tower Hamlets and Hackney showed that 17 or fewer children waited, while Lewisham rated identically to Croydon.

A link to the full Oftsted report can be accessed here. 

 

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