Reduction in Children Entering Care in Northamptonshire

20 May 2025

The number of children needing care in Northamptonshire has reduced, following commitment and ambition of local leadership and the workforce to support children to remain living with their parents or within their family networks whenever it is safe to do so.

Northamptonshire Children’s Trust supports families to access the right support at the right time, focusing on prevention rather than late intervention meaning families can access timely, tailored support to build resilience, promote well-being, and overcome challenges.

Today, Ofsted have published their latest focussed visit inspection letter of the Children in Care service where they cited the reduction in the number of children coming into care and also noted the firm focus on continual improvement.

Inspectors found a number of key improvements, including increased workforce stability, enhanced quality of assessments for children in care, and significant progress in reducing the number of children living in unregistered children’s homes through a comprehensive sufficiency strategy.

Ofsted also noted the strong political and corporate support from the council’s contributing to addressing sufficiency needs by providing more homes for children in the county as well as investing in transformation such as circle to success which has had impact on improving outcomes for children and young people. 

“When children do enter care, social workers are increasingly prioritising the importance of achieving permanence without delay.

“Most children in care enjoy positive relationships with consistent social workers who know them well. Social workers speak about the children they support with pride and warmth.”

When children are unable to continue to live with their family, the Ofsted inspectors found that they are living in homes that meet their needs, where they have positive experiences and make progress in various aspects of their lives.Inspectors

“It is pleasing that Ofsted have seen the decrease of the number of children coming into care, something that has been a key focus for us. Wherever possible we want children and young people to remain with their family or family network when it is safe to do so.

“Every child deserves to have a sense of belonging and opportunity to thrive and it is heartening to see that Ofsted recognised the commitment we have to ensuring all children and young people have this.

“We know that there are still improvements to be made as outlined by Ofsted and we are committed to progressing these.”Julian Wooster, Chair of Northamptonshire Children’s Trust

"Ofsted has acknowledged the strong and steady focus on making things better — especially the progress we've made in creating more stability across the workforce. We're committed to keeping that momentum going. The council will continue working side-by-side with Northamptonshire Children’s Trust to keep raising the bar, so that every child gets the support, safety, and opportunities they truly deserve."Cllr Kathryn Shaw, Cabinet Member for Children, Families and Education at WNC

“Social workers expressed unanimous positivity about working for NCT, feeling valued and well-supported by managers and leaders at every level of the organisation. Staff cited this level of support, comprehensive training and development opportunities, and manageable caseloads as key reasons for their continued commitment to NCT, with some agency workers even converting to permanent positions as a result.”Ofsted

You can read the full report here: 50277483

Find out about NCT: Jobs and careers with Northamptonshire Children’s Trust