The Corporate Parenting Committee of Brent Council was scheduled to discuss the outcomes of a recent Ofsted focused visit, the implementation of the Brent Looked After Children and Care Leavers Placement Sufficiency Strategy 2025-2029, and an update on the progress of opening the local authority's own Residential Children's Home. The meeting also included an update from representatives of Brent Care Journeys 2.0.

Ofsted Focused Visit Report

The committee was scheduled to receive an update on the Ofsted Focused Visit concerning the Inspection of Local Authority Children's Services (ILACS) which took place in November 2025. The report, available at Ofsted Focused Visit for Children in Care, detailed the findings of the inspection, which focused on the local authority's arrangements for children in care, specifically regarding assessment, planning, and decision-making. The visit identified strengths in areas such as stable relationships with social workers, children's satisfaction with care, support for kinship networks, and proactive health and education support. However, two areas for improvement were highlighted: the consistency and rigour of responses to children who go missing from care, and life-story work for children in long-term care. An action plan to address these areas was to be noted and commented upon by the committee. The Ofsted Focused Visit Letter can be found here.

Brent Looked After Children and Care Leavers Placement Sufficiency Strategy 2025-2029

The committee was set to receive information regarding the implementation of the Brent Looked After Children and Care Leavers Placement Sufficiency Strategy 2025-2029. This strategy outlines how Brent Council intends to meet the current and future placement needs of children looked after and care-experienced young people, drawing on statutory guidance and legislation such as the Children Act 1989. The strategy addresses challenges such as an increasing number of children with complex needs entering care, difficulties in recruiting and retaining foster carers, and the impact of out-of-area placements. A key focus of the strategy is to increase local sufficiency of placements by expanding the number of in-house foster carers and residential placements. The report also detailed achievements and challenges from the previous 2020-2024 strategy, including progress on the development of Brent's own children's residential home and responses to supported accommodation regulations. The committee was asked to review and comment on the strategy to ensure the Corporate Parenting Committee is fulfilling its responsibility to monitor and scrutinise the directorate's activities.

Progress Report - Brent Residential Children's Home

An update was scheduled on the progress of work undertaken to open the local authority's own Residential Children's Home, as detailed in the report here. The project aims to deliver a four-bed residential step-down home for looked-after adolescents with social, emotional, and behavioural needs. The report outlined updates on the capital works, which included refurbishment and repairs following an incident where a car crashed into the building's front wall. Recruitment for key roles, including a Registered Manager and Deputy Manager, was also discussed, with delays encountered due to the building repairs and the need to re-advertise for the Registered Manager position. The report detailed the progress of the registration workstream with Ofsted and provided an operational update, noting that the home is expected to be operational following an Ofsted inspection planned for April 2026. Care experienced young people have been consulted throughout the development, providing feedback on the design and operation of the home. Financial considerations, including revenue and capital costs, were also presented.

Update from Brent Care Journeys 2.0 (BCJ 2.0) Representatives

The committee was scheduled to hear an update from representatives of Brent Care Journeys 2.0 (BCJ 2.0). This session was intended to provide feedback on activities over the last quarter and facilitate discussions on issues pertinent to Brent children and young people. A progress update on co-produced work relating to the Bright Spots Action Plan was also anticipated. This would have provided an opportunity for young people with lived experience to share their views and influence service development.