Town's care leavers given 'inconsistent support'

Young care leavers received an "inconsistent level of support" from a council-owned service, inspectors have found.

Slough Children First, which provides social care and support services for young people and families, was inspected by Ofsted in November and its findings were published this week.

The inspectors found that for a "significant number of young people" aged between 18 and 25, there was "a failure to keep in touch" and ensure those needing support had an allocated personal adviser.

Slough Children First, which is an independent non-profit company owned by the town's borough council, said it accepted Ofsted's findings and that it was making improvements.

Ofsted said it found some improvements following a previous inspection but that several areas, including recording, supervision, managerial oversight and staff support, were "significantly inconsistent".

Sue Butcher, the council's director of children's services and Slough Children First's chief executive, said it was "pleased" to hear of the improvements but acknowledged there were still "significant areas that need to be addressed".

She added: "We are committed to addressing the recommendations to ensure that those working with our care leavers service develop their practice and that our young people get the best support possible to help them thrive."