Bradford children's services to be placed into Trust

Bradford’s children’s social care services are set to be lifted into a Trust that will drive rapid improvements, following recommendations made to the Education Secretary.

The decision follows positive and collaborative discussions with leaders at Bradford Council, who have voluntarily agreed to the move in recognition of the challenges it has faced since its children’s services were rated inadequate by Ofsted in 2018.

The collaborative, council-owned trust model has been used in several other local areas, including most recently in Sunderland, one of the most deprived councils in England, where services went from inadequate to outstanding in three years.

While the new trust is established, an independent non-executive commissioner will also be appointed to lead the council through this transition period, to create immediate change for children and young people in Bradford. The trust will work closely with council leaders but will remain operationally independent.

Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi said: “Keeping vulnerable children safe from harm is non-negotiable. Where a council is not meeting its duty to do this, we will take action to protect children and put their needs first. It’s clear from the recommendations made by the Commissioner in Bradford that the council needs support to improve and so I’m pleased that Bradford council have agreed to establish a new trust that will bring positive change for the council and independent oversight that drives improvements.

“This is an important moment for children and families in Bradford, and for social workers and other professionals who want to create meaningful and effective relationships with them. These professionals take highly complex decisions each day to protect children, and I am grateful for the effort that goes into each one.”