The Durham Family Panel was scheduled to discuss updates on Ofsted, the progress of children in care, and the annual reports for private fostering and the wider fostering service. The meeting's agenda also included discussions on proud moments from across the service and updates from the Kinship Care Council and the Care Leavers Network.

Ofsted Updates

The panel was scheduled to receive an update from the Head of Children's Social Care and the Head of Strategy, Assurance and Specialist Services regarding Ofsted. This would have provided information on recent inspections and feedback from the regulatory body concerning children's social care services.

Proud Moments

Strategic Managers were due to present an update on Proud Moments from across the Durham Family services. This segment was intended to highlight achievements and positive developments within the services supporting children and young people.

Updates from Kinship Care Council and Care Leavers Network

The Participation and Engagement Lead was scheduled to provide updates from both the Kinship Care Council and the Care Leavers Network. These updates would have offered insights into the perspectives and activities of young people involved in these groups.

Private Fostering Annual Report 2025/26

The Corporate Director of Children and Young People's Services was scheduled to present the Private Fostering Annual Report for 2025/26. This report would have detailed the arrangements for privately fostered children in County Durham during that period, including statistics on the number of children in private fostering arrangements, the commencement and ending of these arrangements, and the assessments and reviews undertaken. The report also aimed to raise awareness of private fostering and ensure good multi-agency understanding.

The report noted that at the end of March 2026, there were 12 children in private fostering arrangements, an increase from the previous year. It also highlighted efforts to raise awareness of private fostering among professionals and the public, and outlined actions taken to improve social work practice in line with regulations. Recommendations were made for the Durham Family Panel to consider the report's content and support partnership work in publicity campaigns.

Fostering Service Annual Report 2025/26

The Corporate Director of Children and Young People's Services was also scheduled to present the Fostering Service Annual Report for 2025/26. This comprehensive report would have provided an overview of the service's activity, performance, achievements, challenges, and priorities. Key areas covered included recruitment, assessment, and retention of foster carers, support provided to fostering families, and the impact of initiatives such as the Mockingbird model, Durham Cares programme, and the North East End-to-End Fostering Hub.

The report indicated that during 2025/26, the number of children in care increased by 10.9%, placing significant pressure on the availability of local family-based care. Despite these challenges, the service reported an increase in fostering households and expanded the overall care offer. However, demand continued to outpace growth in local provision, making placement sufficiency the most significant strategic challenge. The report also highlighted the growing importance of kinship and connected care arrangements. Recommendations included noting the progress made, supporting the council's fostering sufficiency objectives, and strengthening the panel's role as corporate parents.

Aycliffe Secure Centre Regulation 44 Visit Update Report

In Part B of the meeting, which was considered not open to the public, the Head of Sufficiency, Assurance and Specialist Services was scheduled to present an update report on the Regulation 44 visit to the Aycliffe Secure Centre. This report would have detailed findings from monitoring activity undertaken by the Strategic Commissioning Service of independent persons of Independent Children's Residential Homes.

Agenda Items for Consideration at the Next Meeting

The Senior Policy and Partnerships Officer was scheduled to provide an update on agenda items for the next meeting. This would have allowed panel members to consider any specific points they wished to be addressed in future updates.