Slough Children First was established in April 2021 as a company wholly-owned by Slough Borough Council to manage children’s social care on behalf of the local authority.
We believe that every child deserves to be safe, secure and successful and making this a reality is our vision. Slough Children First is on a journey to transform services to children, young people and families and improve outcomes, while offering value for money.
When its predecessor company (Slough Children’s Services Trust) was set up, we took an early decision to fundamentally transform how services are delivered, with the focus on securing long-term sustainable change. Moving away from traditional social work teams, we introduced a new model with smaller teams, made up of professionals from different disciplines.
These teams are underpinned by the systemic ‘whole approach’ social work model, which recognises the importance of the relationships that surround a child, while ensuring their voice remains at the centre of everything we do.
Working closely with Slough Borough Council, and other key partners, including police, schools, GPs and the wider community, is central to our work and essential in making the children of Slough safe, secure and successful.
If you have a concern about the welfare of a child or young person then please immediately contact: 01753 875362 and email a Multi-Agency Referral Form to sloughchildren.referrals@sloughchildrenfirst.co.uk, or contact 01344 786543.
Please visit our website for more information by clicking here.
November 2023 Update
We’re pleased to announce that the Slough Children’s placement sufficiency strategy sets out our ambitions for children and young people who may become looked after or who are looked after over the next three years (2023-26.)
Central to the strategy is a fundamental belief that every child has the right to grow up in a family home wherever possible. We will do everything we can to support children and young people to stay within their family where possible, where it is safe to do so, before considering that they need to be cared for outside of their family home. The sufficiency strategy will achieve this by focusing on 5 key priorities:
- Strengthening Early Help and developing ‘Edge of Care’ and reunification support
- A clear focus on our recruitment and retention of foster carers and developing options for children to exit residential care into a family home, where possible
- Ensuring robust commissioning arrangements and value for money relationships with providers
- Achieving permanence for children at the earliest opportunity
- Providing care experienced young people with a variety of placement options and support to independence.
We and Slough Borough Council are committed to achieving the best for our children and work across all council departments to achieve this for our cared for children. The five priority areas will be delivered via specific workstreams, led by our strategic managers, and overseen by a Sufficiency Board to ensure progress and that outcomes are achieved.
“Every child and young person deserves a supportive and loving home where they feel cared for and safe. However, if you have ever been a child or young person in the care of a local authority or a young adult that has previously been looked after, this is all the more important.” (Sue Butcher, Director of Children’s Services and Chief Executive of Slough Children First)
“Slough’s new Children and Young People’s Placement Sufficiency Strategy sets out how we will provide these homes which could mean staying at home with family support in place, living with foster carers, living in a residential children’s home, or being supported to live independently. Our vision is ‘Happy, Safe and Loved, Thriving’.”
Councillor Paul Kelly, Cabinet Member for Education and Children's Services, said: “The placement sufficiency strategy puts processes in place to ensure the best outcome for each child in our care. It is our priority that looked after children feel secure, supported, and are encouraged to achieve their full potential. This strategy will be overseen by a Sufficiency Board to ensure key milestones are met, and that we are on track to achieve the five key priorities laid out within it.”