Bradford's children's services ‘improved significantly’, Ofsted agrees
Children's services in Bradford are no longer failing or require "special measures", Ofsted says, ending eight years of intensive monitoring visits.
Previous inspections had deemed the service as inadequate, with a trust set up in 2023 to help turn it around.
Now, with nearly 20 per cent fewer children in care and a significant drop in the use of agency staff, improvements have been recognised.
Services have "improved significantly", the report says, with leaders and the council having rebuilt it with "purpose and clarity".
Children's services are still rated in need of improvement overall, but are considered good for leadership and in the experience for care leavers.
Dr Lorraine O’Donnell, chief executive of Bradford Council, said: “Making Bradford a great place to grow up is a top priority for us.
“This is a significant milestone on our improvement journey," she added.
"We know there is more to do, and we have robust plans in place to ensure we continue both the scale and pace of improvement.”
And Charlotte Ramsden, chief executive of the Bradford Children and Families Trust, said: "This marks a turning point for children’s services in Bradford.
"We have built a solid and secure base for the future.
"Today, we celebrate this achievement, but we know we still have a lot of work to do as we drive forward further improvements.”