Slough Children’s Services Trust was established in October 2015 in order to address the persistent failure of Children Services as determined by Ofsted. This first phase of transformation, supported by DfE Improvement Funding, implemented a systemic hub approach (called Safe, Secure and Successful), introduced Signs of Safety principles and piloted the Inspiring Families Programme, a whole family assessment of dynamics for families affected by domestic abuse.
Social care in Slough has previously operated a bureaucratic and coercive social care system which encourages an uncompromising and siloed way of working. Time and resource is wasted on expensive statutory assessments which is intrusive for families and leads to mistrust and lack of engagement. There is also a high prevalence and negative impact of domestic abuse within the system and an ill-equipped workforce to work with the whole family.
Our innovation will transform the Trust’s staffing model by introducing Enhanced Hubs, developing a new model of practice that will integrate principles of systemic practice and Signs of Safety and introduce new domestic abuse assessment, response and recovery.
The new Enhanced Hub will work with any children or families not subject to Child Protection Plans. They will be agile, with the ability to operate from multiple community and partner locations and collectively they will operate seven days a week. The model of practice and domestic abuse assessment, response and recovery will continue and will build upon what has already been delivered through the work funded by the DfE Improvement Funding.
