Havering and Bracknell Forest children's services commended by Ofsted

Inspections looking into Havering’s referral and assessment procedures found that staff morale was high and there was effective monitoring of referrals.

There was also a high involvement of children and young people, and child protection cases were "promptly identified". However, cases were not always allocated to social workers "in a timely manner".

Inspectors visiting Bracknell found referral and assessment of child protection cases was well managed and information was clearly recorded.

Social workers at Bracknell were particularly good at evaluating potential risks to children’s safety. The council’s annual appraisal of all social workers was found to be "comprehensive and reflective, covering performance and professional development with clear action plans monitored through ongoing supervision."

Among areas for development at Bracknell were to ensure information was properly recorded, particularly children’s views and whether they had been interviewed alone.