Children's services moved out of special measures

Children's services in Bradford have been moved out of special measures for the first time in eight years.

Ofsted has rated Bradford Children and Families Trust (BCFT) as "requires improvement to be good" following its latest inspection, saying leaders had "rebuilt the service with purpose and clarity".

The trust began work in April 2023 after the council was stripped of control of children's services in the wake of the murder of Star Hobson in September 2020 and consecutive inadequate Ofsted ratings.

Chief Executive of BCFT Charlotte Ramsden said the rating marked a "turning point" for children's services in the city.

The trust was rated "good" for leadership and the experiences and progress of care leavers, and "requires improvement to be good" for children who need help and protection and children in care.

In the report - compiled following an inspection in January - Ofsted's lead inspector Catherine Heron said services to children, young people and care leavers who need help, protection and care had "improved significantly since the last inspection".

She highlighted improvements in workforce stability and training, saying staff were "increasingly able to form meaningful relationships with children and families and respond to their needs with greater consistency and increasingly positive impact".

However she warned that "despite this progress, important work remains," identifying ares for improvement including front-line management oversight and the timeliness and effectiveness of permanence planning.

Responding to the report, Ramsden said: "We have built a solid and secure base for the future.

"Today, we celebrate this achievement, but we know we still have a lot of work to do as we drive forward further improvements."

BCFT is an independent, not-for-profit trust owned by Bradford Council but operated at arms-length under the control of an independent Chair and Board of Directors.

The rating ends eight years of intensive regular Ofsted monitoring visits for the trust.

The decision to strip Bradford Council of control of its children's services came after recommendations made to the then Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi.

Bradford Council's chief executive Dr Lorraine O'Donnell said the improved rating was a "significant milestone on our improvement journey".

She said: "We know there is more to do, and we have robust plans in place to ensure we continue both the scale and pace of improvement."

Following Star's death, Savannah Brockhill was jailed for a minimum of 25 years for her murder, while Star's mother, Frankie Smith, was sentenced to eight years for causing or allowing her death.

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