Barking and Dagenham Council has noted positive trends in its children's care and support services, according to a self-evaluation report presented to the Full Council. The report, presented by Councillor Jane Jones, Cabinet Member for Children’s Social Care, Education & Schools, highlighted improvements in leadership stability, partnership working, and workforce development.
Key areas of progress include a 12% growth in children receiving early help over the last three years, with families reporting positive impacts on their lives. While the number of children on child protection plans remains high, this is attributed to several factors including population growth, more children moving into the borough who have not had the benefit of early help, deprivation levels, and better identification of neglect and complex needs. The council noted that high levels of need underline the importance of focusing on prevention and family help, and that the support available to children and families is well-regarded and effective, bringing sustainable change that reduces risks and keeps children safe.
The rate of repeat child protection plans is 15.6% over 2025-26, which is below the Q4 London average of 19%.
For children in care, the report noted a reduction in the number of children entering care and a decline in the overall rate of children in care. The council expressed pride in its foster carer recruitment and support, and the success of the Mockingbird Hub model. Education and wellbeing outcomes for children in care were reported as above national averages, with Key Stage 2 and 4 results exceeding national benchmarks, and self-reported emotional wellbeing also being better than benchmarks.
Placement stability was identified as an area for improvement. While some moves are positive and planned, others reflect placement pressure or breakdown. Strategies being implemented to address the drivers behind this include support to carers and therapeutic and relational interventions.
Addressing the use of unregistered provision is a top priority. Rigorous processes and oversight are in place for children in unregistered provision, and detailed plans are being delivered to prevent and avoid use in future. The number of 16–17-year-olds in unregistered provision has reduced from 25 young people in April 2025 to three children as of 18 June 2026. The first of the council's own children's homes is due to open in 2028 as part of the refreshed Sufficiency Strategy.
Support for care leavers has also seen positive developments, with more young people choosing to remain connected to services into adulthood. Outcomes for care leavers in education, employment, and training, as well as in suitable accommodation, were reported as higher than the national average.
Areas for further improvement identified in the self-evaluation included the timeliness of strategy meetings and assessments. While timeliness has improved, challenges such as delays in obtaining parental consent for health assessments, initial non-engagement from children, delays with other local authorities for out-of-borough placements, staffing changes, complex assessments, and missed appointments have been noted. To address these, close management oversight and a dedicated Strategy Meeting Dashboard have been implemented. A new safety-planning tool for the risk-outside-the-home (ROTH) pathway has been introduced, along with a new safety-plan template for commonly identified issues launched in June 2026. Recruitment of an in-house Expert Court Assessment Service (ECAS) is underway to reduce reliance on external experts. Robust processes ensure pre-proceedings letters are timely, and communication to families has improved with clearer language.
Councillor Jones stated, Our approach to supporting children and families is rooted in compassion, accountability, respect, empowerment and sharing through participation: This is our CARES practice model approach. These principles shape practice, support strong and enduring relationships, and drive timely, meaningful change so that children are safe and receive the right help at the right time.
The CARES Practice Framework is further described as being rooted in these principles, shaping organisational culture and guiding practitioners. Its implementation is measured and evaluated through audits, the CARES Academy, supervision, feedback from children and families, and a 'you said, we did' reporting system.
The report was noted by the Full Council. The full public reports pack can be found here.
