Ealing Council's adoption service 'Outstanding'

This report follows on from last year’s inspection of the council’s Fostering service which was also given an ‘Outstanding’ rating. This now makes Ealing Council one of the best performing local authorities in the country for fostering and adoption services.

Ofsted visited the council in March. They looked in detail at a number of areas including how children are helped to stay safe and how they are supported to do well in school and at home.

They also scrutinised the council’s work in preparing both children and parents for the adoption process, the support they give to adoptive families in maintaining relationships with birth parents and in sustaining adopted children’s senses of identity and heritage.

The council’s work in all of these areas was highly praised with Ofsted describing it as ‘exceptionally strong’, ‘effective’, ‘professional’, ‘passionate’ and ‘innovative’. Some of the other areas highlighted for praise include:

• Ealing’s effective recruitment of adopters and their careful placement of children with adopters of a different ethnicity in order to reduce delays in finding a permanent family.
• The council’s strong commitment to education and support of adopted children in school.
• The outstanding level of help given to adoptive families post-adoption.
• The service’s strong and stable leadership and its strong commitment to ongoing improvement.

Councillor Patricia Walker, cabinet member for Children and Young People, said: “This latest Ofsted report means that both our Adoption and Fostering services are now judged to be truly outstanding. I am so proud of our hard working social workers and am delighted that their professionalism and dedication is being recognised in this way.”

To speak to someone at Ealing Council about adoption, email fosteradopt@ealing.gov.uk or call 0800 731 6550.

To read the full inspection report, go to www.ofsted.gov.uk.