The Overview and Scrutiny Committee met to discuss the Council's response to the recent Ofsted inspection of Local Authority Children's Services, which rated Harrow Council's services as Inadequate overall. The committee noted the report and the actions being taken to address the identified shortcomings, particularly concerning care leavers.

Council Response to the Recent Inspection of Local Authority Children's Services Report

The committee received and noted the Council's response to the Ofsted Inspection of Local Authority Children's Services (ILACS) report, which took place between 20 and 24 January 2025. The inspection resulted in an Inadequate rating for Overall Effectiveness, primarily due to the Inadequate judgement in the Experiences and progress of care leavers category, despite achieving Good ratings in The experiences and progress of children who need help and protection and The experiences and progress of children in care.

Councillor Paul Osborn, Leader of the Council, expressed disappointment with the overall rating but highlighted it as an opportunity for improvement. Parmjit Chahal, Strategic Director of Children's Services, detailed the immediate actions taken, including reviewing and reopening cases of care leavers aged 18-21 whose cases had been prematurely closed. The service has increased the capacity of personal advisors and will now keep all care leaver cases open until the age of 25, unless a young person opts out after 21. A weekly drop-in hub has also been established to provide support for care leavers aged 18 and over, with colleagues from housing, employment, and social care in attendance.

During the discussion, councillors raised concerns about the progress reporting frequency, with the committee requesting a six-weekly update. It was explained that the progress report is not a council document and its availability is dependent on the Department for Education's consent. The training and professional development opportunities for personal advisors were also questioned, with assurances given that all personal advisors are undergoing training relevant to working with older children in care.

The committee also discussed the significant challenge of housing for care leavers. While acknowledging the national shortage of housing, it was noted that Harrow Council provides suitable alternative accommodation, such as semi-independent and supported living. The council's overspend of £10 million on housing needs was attributed to the local housing allowance rates, and the council is exploring options to increase social care housing.

Concerns were raised about care leavers going missing, and the committee was informed that all missing care leavers are now discussed at a weekly meeting with the police. This includes two unaccompanied asylum-seeking young people who went missing, one of whom has not yet been located. The council is working with the Home Office on this issue.

Regarding the impact of the inspection findings on staff morale, it was reported that while staff were disappointed, there has been no significant increase in staff turnover. In fact, the council has been able to recruit additional permanent service managers and some agency social workers have moved to permanent roles. The committee also requested an organisational chart of the service to better understand its structure and identify any potential single points of failure, with assurances that none were identified.

The committee was informed that the deterioration in support for care leavers since 2020, as noted in the report, may have been partly due to the merging of departments, though this was not the sole cause. The council is committed to improving its offer to care leavers, focusing on basic needs, communication, and robust pathway planning, including housing.

The report was noted by the committee.