The Corporate Parenting Committee of Brent Council met on Tuesday 14 July 2026 to discuss the outcomes of a recent Ofsted inspection, review annual reports on children in care, and hear updates from representatives of Brent Care Journeys. The meeting was held in private to protect the identities of individuals discussed.

Outcome of Ofsted Inspection of Local Authority Children's Services (ILACS)

The committee was scheduled to receive an update on the outcome of the Ofsted Inspection of Local Authority Children's Services (ILACS), which took place in April and May 2026. The report indicated that Ofsted had judged Brent's children's services as Good across all four areas: the impact of leaders on social work practice, the experiences and progress of children needing help and protection, the experiences and progress of children in care, and the experiences and progress of care leavers. The inspection report highlighted that Children in Brent benefit from responsive, compassionate social work that is firmly rooted in their individual needs and lived experiences. However, four areas for improvement were identified: the consistency of work with children subject to care proceedings, the consideration of children's previous history in decision-making at the Brent Family Front Door, the consistency and quality of life-story work for children in long-term care, and the completion of mandatory training for approved foster carers. An action plan to address these areas was being developed.

Annual Corporate Parenting Report 2025-26

A summary of the activity, strengths, and areas for development in supporting care-experienced children and young people in Brent was scheduled for discussion. This report fulfils the Council's statutory obligation to present an annual report to the Corporate Parenting Committee, in line with the Care Planning, Placement and Case Review Regulations (2010). The report highlighted progress in areas such as the implementation of the Early Help and Social Care redesign, workforce stability, expansion of the Family Group Decision Making offer, and improvements in care leaver accommodation pathways. Risks and challenges identified included the need for greater consistency in life-story work, continued recruitment of local foster carers, sustaining workforce stability during service transformation, and embedding learning from recent inspections. The report also outlined the priorities for the Looked After Children and Permanency service for 2026/27.

Annual Looked After Children Health Report 2025-26

The committee was set to receive information regarding the health needs of children in care in Brent and the services provided to them during the 2025-26 period. The report detailed national and local demographics of children looked after, including unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC). It highlighted key performance indicators for health assessments, immunisations, dental health, visual health, and GP registration, noting challenges in meeting statutory targets due to systemic operational barriers. The report also discussed the emotional and mental health needs of children in care, substance misuse, and health summaries for care leavers. The service aimed to improve performance through joint working with the Local Authority and other health partners.

Annual Independent Reviewing Officer (IRO) Report 2025-26

This report was scheduled to provide information on the contribution of Independent Reviewing Officers (IROs) to the quality assurance and improvement of services for children who are looked after. The report detailed the structure of the IRO service, including in-house and commissioned staff, and outlined the legal context and purpose of the service. It reviewed progress against priorities for 2025/26, such as making LAC reviews more child-led, ensuring reviews took place within statutory timescales, timely escalation of issues, and learning from advocacy and the Independent Visitor Service. The report also highlighted the positive feedback received from Ofsted inspections regarding the IRO service. Priorities for 2026/27 included strengthening the consistency and timeliness of care planning documentation, improving the timeliness and quality of review records, and further embedding child-centred practice.

Update from Brent Care Journeys - Empire (BCJ 2.0) Representatives

The committee was scheduled to hear an update from representatives of Empire – BCJ 2.0, the council's Children in Care Council, on their recent activities. This provided an opportunity for young people to feedback on their experiences and engage with the committee on issues pertinent to them.