Reading’s mental health service for young people scores highly in survey

Reading’s Mental Health Support Team (MHST), which works in schools across the borough, has been rated good or above by almost 100% of its users for a second year running. 

The service, run by Brighter Futures for Children (BFfC), was rated as good or above by 99% of respondents in an annual feedback report – a 1% rise on last year’s results. 

A total of 258 people responded to this year’s survey, demonstrating that the team has continued to reach a high number of children and young people and schools. 

When asked to rate the overall experience of working with the MHST, over 93% of people scored the service between a 4 and 5 out of 5, which is consistent with last year’s results. 

In addition to figures, the report also collected some feedback about the service over the past year. 

One young person said: “I feel better and happier about doing things. I was encouraged to do things that I wasn’t doing before.” 

A comment from a parent reads: “Incredible! It helped me get my little girl back. Her anxiety crippled her but with the support, she’s got her anxiety under control, and it’s helped our whole family.” 

The MHST was launched in 16 schools in west Reading in January 2020 as part of an innovative trailblazer project. It was expanded to a further 20 schools in south and central Reading in September 2022 and now operates in 36 schools across the borough. 

Plans are in place to extend the offer to the remaining 19 state-funded schools in north and east Reading from September 2024, bringing the total to 55 schools. 

The team, funded by Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire & Berkshire West Integrated Care Board, supports children and young people, and their families, with emerging, mild or moderate mental health needs, focusing particularly on low mood, anxiety and behaviour. 

Lara Patel, Executive Director of Children's Services, said: “For the second year running, our fantastic Mental Health Support Team has received outstanding feedback from young people and their families. 

“I am delighted to see the team having so many positive impacts in our schools to help children and young people received essential mental health support and wellbeing when they need it.” 

Cllr Ruth McEwan, Reading’s Lead Councillor for Education and Public Health, said: “Reading’s Mental Health Support Team does an outstanding job at providing support for our children and young people, at a time when nationally they are struggling more with mental health concerns. 

“This feedback continues to demonstrate that the service is making a big difference across Reading, and the team will work hard to make sure this level of support is maintained.” 

Notes to editors 

You can view the full report and find out more about the MHST at: https://brighterfuturesforchildren.org/for-parents-carers/mental-health-support-team/ 

by Joe Difford

Reading’s not-for-profit independent fostering agency rated ‘Good’ by Ofsted again

Brighter Futures for Children’s (BFfC) independent fostering agency (IFA) has been rated as ‘Good’ following an Ofsted inspection in July. 

The overall judgement for the only not-for-profit IFA in the Reading area, which offers short and long-term, emergency, and parent and child placements, remains the same as the previous inspection in 2022. 

The detailed inspection judgements were: 

  • The overall experiences and progress of children and young people are deemed to be ‘good’.  
  • How well children and young people are helped and protected is likewise deemed to be ‘good’.  
  • The effectiveness of leaders and managers is deemed to ‘require improvement to be good’. 

Lara Patel, Executive Director of Children’s Services at BFfC, said: 

“We’re delighted to see that our IFA is maintaining its high standards and continuing to provide effective fostering services. 

“While the inspection report contains several recommendations, these are all known to the IFA and the team are working towards fully implementing them as part of their improvement journey.” 

Cllr Ruth McEwan, Reading’s Lead Councillor for Education and Public Health, said: “I want to thank all BFfC staff who were involved in this inspection. A second consecutive ‘good’ rating is something to be incredibly proud of. 

“Thanks also go out to our foster carers for their unwavering commitment to caring for children in Reading.” 

Notes to editors 

The full assessment report is available on Ofsted’s website. 

by Joe Difford

Reading GCSE exam results day 2024

Young people in Reading will be collecting their GCSE or vocational technical qualification (VTQ) results this morning. 

While the majority will be pleased with their grades, the team of advisors at Elevate careers service, run by Brighter Futures for Children, will be on hand to offer education and training advice to anyone who needs support. 

There are a variety of ways to take advantage of Elevate’s offer of support, including a drop-in session between 12-4pm today (Thursday 22 August), as well as face-to-face appointments that can be booked (details below). 

Brian Grady, Director of Education at Brighter Futures for Children, said: “A huge congratulations to all young people in Reading collecting their results today, you should all be proud of what you have achieved. 

“For those who may not have received the results they were hoping for, please rest assured that there are many options available to you. Our Elevate careers service is there to help support you and offer guidance on your next move. 

“I wish you the best of luck with your A-levels, BTEC, college or whatever your chosen next step may be.” 

Cllr Ruth McEwan, Reading’s Lead Councillor for Education and Public Health, said: “A massive well done to everyone in Reading receiving their exam results this morning. This is a group of young people who have been through lockdowns, remote learning and major disruption to their education not too long ago and everyone should be very proud. 

“If you were disappointed with your results, I urge you to reach out to BFfC’s expert advisors at Elevate who will be there for your in planning your next steps.” 

There are a variety of ways of getting in touch with advisors at Elevate: 

The following websites offer advice for young people and parents/carers about coping with stress and anxiety around the exam results period: 

 

by Joe Difford

Reading A-level exam results day 2024

Young people in Reading will be collecting their A-level results this morning, as well as T-level, BTEC and other Level 3 results. 

While the majority will be pleased with their grades, the team of advisors at Elevate careers service, run by Brighter Futures for Children, will be on hand to offer education, training and employment advice to anyone who needs support. 

There are a variety of ways to take advantage of Elevate’s offer of support, including a drop-in session between 12-4pm today (Thursday 15 August), as well as face-to-face appointments that can be booked (details below). 

Brian Grady, Director of Education at Brighter Futures for Children, said: “Congratulations to everyone collecting their results today. It is always a fantastic day and our young people should be proud for all that they have achieved. 

“For those who may not have received the results they were hoping for, please rest assured that there are many options available to you. Our Elevate careers service is there to help support you and offer guidance on your next move, whether that be further education, training or employment. 

“I wish you the best of luck for your onward journey into further education, apprenticeship or employment.” 

Cllr Ruth McEwan, Reading’s Lead Councillor for Education and Public Health, said: “A massive well done to everyone in Reading receiving their exam results this morning. This is a group of young people who have been through lockdowns, remote learning and major disruption to their education not too long ago and everyone should be very proud. 

“If you were disappointed with your results, I urge you to reach out to BFfC’s expert advisors at Elevate who will be there for your in planning your next steps.” 

There are a variety of ways of getting in touch with advisors at Elevate: 

The following websites offer advice for young people and parents/carers about coping with stress and anxiety around the exam results period: 

by Joe Difford

Children’s services mascot fronts innovative new messaging campaign

Brighter Futures for Children’s (BFfC) mascot is the face of a brand-new poster campaign, aimed at improving communication, independence and behaviour messaging at children’s centres and nurseries. 

Freddie Future, a firefly who powers up his tail to light the way to a brighter future for Reading’s children, originally launched in a story about fostering for children aged 5-7. 

In a new campaign, Freddie features on a series of comic book-inspired posters to share key messaging around getting ready for nursery or school independently; using the toilet and washing your hands; limiting pushchair use to avoid ‘buggy back’; and playing nicely with others, a message that kickstarted the campaign on International Day of Play in June. 

Along with the messages for young children, a reminder for parents to hold conversations instead of their mobile phones is the focus of one poster going up later this year. 

Maria Young, Director of Family Help & Safeguarding, said: “Communicating so many important messages to our children can be challenging, but this campaign is an innovative example of using our mascot to speak directly to those attending our children’s centres and nurseries. 

“Freddie Future is a symbol of what we’re all working hard to do at Brighter Futures for Children, so he’s perfectly placed to front our fantastic campaign.” 

Posters are now up in our children’s centres ahead of the busy summer holiday period. To find out more about what activities are on during the holidays and catch a glimpse of Freddie himself, visit our children’s centres webpage. 

Notes to editor 

Freddie Future is the mascot of Brighter Futures for Children and full details can be found on the BFfC website. 

Poster of Freddie Future with messaging about avoiding 'buggy back' Poster of Freddie Future with messaging about getting ready for the day Poster of Freddie Future with messaging about playing nicely for International Day of Play

by Joe Difford

South East local authorities host new minister’s first fostering visit

Twenty local authorities in the South East have hosted a visit from newly appointed Minister Janet Daby MP.  

The visit from the Labour MP for Lewisham East, and former children’s social worker, follows the launch of Local Authority Fostering South East. This is a DfE funded project to recruit more foster carers across the region. The project has become the largest local authority fostering recruitment hub in the country.  

Minister Daby met with foster carers, care-experienced young people and representatives from Local Authority Fostering South East. The visit took place in Time Square, Bracknell Forest, on Wednesday, 31 July. 

The Minister heard about the Mockingbird support programme for foster carers, and the new innovative approach to foster carer recruitment. This includes the joint marketing campaigns running across the region to attract more people willing to take on this life-changing role.  

It is Daby’s first engagement with fostering services since becoming Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Department for Education (DfE).

Janet Daby, Minister for children and families, said: “We know that there’s a growing demand for foster placements across the country and we must do more to recruit and retain more foster carers.

“Today, I met with the South East’s newly launched recruitment and retention hub team to find out how they will offer support to prospective foster carers, improve the transition to becoming a carer and encourage more people to foster children.

“I encourage anyone with an interest in fostering in the area to get in touch to find out more and help to give children growing up in care every possible opportunity for better life chances.”

To find out more information, visit Local Authority Fostering South East.

Notes to editors 

Contact information: 

Phone: 0300 1312797 

Email: info@lafosteringse.org.uk

by Joe Difford

Reading’s children’s services has made significant progress with improvements still needed

Overall effectiveness  Requires Improvement to be Good 
The experiences and progress of children who need help and protection  Requires Improvement to be Good 

 
The experiences and progress of children in care  Good 

 
The experiences and progress of care leavers 

 

 Good 

 
The impact of leaders on social work practice with children and families  Requires Improvement to be Good 

 

Reading’s children’s services company has made ‘significant progress in some areas since the last inspection’ with further improvements required according to the latest Ofsted report. 

Ofsted judged two areas of children’s services in Reading as Good and two as Requires Improvement, giving an overall effectiveness rating of Requires Improvement to be Good for the borough. 

The inspection, over a three-week period from 15 April to 3 May, took place under the Inspecting Local Authority Children’s Services (ILACS) framework conducted by Ofsted inspectors. 

Inspectors praised Brighter Futures for Children, which delivers children’s services on behalf of Reading Borough Council, for a number of improvements across its services since its last inspection in 2019, where all judged areas were Requires Improvement to be Good.  

Ofsted acknowledged that a transformation plan, focused on the right areas, was already in place and progress was under way. 

The report said: “Senior leaders have a shared understanding of the priorities and improvements needed, and significant progress has been made in some areas since the last inspection, such as for early help, disabled children, children in care and care leavers. Leaders have also been successful in recruitment and in stabilising the workforce.” 

The report also noted that children and families living in Reading are not currently receiving consistently good services. The six areas identified were: 

  • The quality of assessment, planning and provision for children in need, 16- and 17-year-olds who are homeless and children living in private fostering arrangements  
  • The timely identification of risk for children  
  • The workforce development, training and support offer to attract and retain staff 
  • The timely assessment of and support for connected carers, kinship carers and special guardians  
  • The development and embedding of the response to children at risk of harm outside the home  
  • The timely publication of the local offer for care leavers and the implementation of the delayed measures to improve corporate parenting for care-experienced young people. 

Di Smith, Brighter Futures for Children’s Board Chair, said: “We welcome the findings from the recent Ofsted inspection. It is encouraging that Ofsted has identified areas of significant improvement since the last inspection. But we fully recognise that the report shows there is still much more to do to ensure children’s services are consistently good across every area. 

“The team at Brighter Futures for Children is fully committed and focused on securing further improvement in the areas highlighted by Ofsted and to ensuring the very best outcomes for the children and families of Reading. 

“Our staff are our greatest asset and Ofsted has recognised the leadership of our stable senior team and our success in recruitment and stabilisation of the workforce. They also acknowledged that our transformation programme is focussed on the right priorities. These are important foundations on which we will continue to build further progress and improvement.” 

Reading Borough Council’s Lead Member for Children, Cllr Wendy Griffith, said: “The report clearly identifies areas which need to be addressed while recognising the strides that have been made by Brighter Futures for Children to improve support and protection for some of the most vulnerable young people and families in the borough. 

“We obviously would have liked to see the new rating as Good across all areas, but we are all aware that it takes time to effect sustainable change, especially in a climate nationally where resources and the workforce have been stretched to capacity.  

“The Council will continue to support and challenge Brighter Futures for Children on progress and to play our part as joint corporate parents too. 

“We want to see the very best for the children and young people we care for, which is why Reading Borough Council recognises care experience as a protected characteristic and why we exempt care leavers from paying full council tax under the age of 25.” 

Inspectors found a range of positives during the inspection, including: 

  • Range of impressive & impactful family help services 
  • Robust arrangements for children who go missing 
  • Most children in care live in stable, nurturing and caring homes where their needs are well met and they flourish 
  • Highly ambitious for children in care and care leavers 
  • Developed and improved advocacy and engagement activities 
  • Adoption is a strength 
  • There is real focus and intention to keep children living locally 
  • Senior leaders have a shared understanding of the priorities & improvements needed. 

The full report can be seen on Ofsted’s website.

NOTE TO EDITORS: 

For further media enquiries please email communications@brighterfuturesforchildren.org 

To find out more about Brighter Futures for Children and the services it delivers, please visit www.brighterfuturesforchildren.org 

by Joe Difford

Reading joins country's largest fostering partnership

Reading has joined 19 other councils from across the south east to create the country’s largest local authority fostering partnership, with the goal of recruiting more foster carers for our children and young people in care. 

Brighter Futures for Children, which delivers children’s services, including fostering, on behalf of Reading Borough Council, is a proud partner of this national Department for Education (DfE) funded project, with Local Authority Fostering South East being the largest of nine regions taking place in this pilot programme. 

There is an urgent need to recruit more foster carers to provide safe, loving and local homes for vulnerable children in Reading and the wider area, with over 11,000 children in care across the south east and fewer than 3,000 local authority approved foster carers. 

The new hub, which launches today (Monday 8 July), will provide a centralised platform for prospective foster carers to enquire and will see local authorities work collaboratively to provide the best support, with a new ambassador scheme established to share what this life-changing role is really like. 

The hub will also run marketing campaigns to raise awareness and encourage more people to take the next step in becoming a foster carer. In doing so, they will benefit from comprehensive local training, generous financial assistance and ongoing support. 

Di Smith, Board Chair of Brighter Futures for Children, said: “We do not currently have enough Reading-based foster carers, so we are delighted to be involved in this partnership and keep more children and young people in care closer to their local links, including school, family and friends. 

“Our foster carers make such a positive difference to children’s lives and create many happy moments for them to look back on for years to come. This hub will help us to give more children a loving home locally and will enhance our offer to make sure foster carers have access to the support they need.” 

Cllr Wendy Griffith, Lead Councillor for Children, said: “We are excited to be part of this collaboration to increase the number of foster carers and make sure they continue to be supported to care for our children and young people. 

“Becoming a foster carer is a wonderful thing to do and I hope that by working with the 19 other local authorities across the region, we’ll be able to find more loving homes in Reading.” 

Notes to editor 

More information on becoming a foster carer can be found on the new regional website and by following Local Authority Fostering South East on Facebook, Instagram and X (formerly Twitter).   

Those interested in fostering can also contact the regional hub directly to speak to a member of the recruitment team by calling 0300 131 2797. 

The local authorities involved in this project are: 

  • Achieving for Children (London Borough of Richmond Upon Thames, The Royal Borough of Kingston Upton Thames and The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead) 
  • Bracknell Forest Council 
  • Brighton and Hove City Council  
  • East Sussex County Council  
  • Hampshire County Council  
  • Isle of Wight Council  
  • Kent County Council  
  • Medway Council 
  • Milton Keynes City Council 
  • Oxfordshire County Council  
  • Portsmouth City Council  
  • Brighter Futures for Children (Reading) 
  • Slough Borough Council  
  • Southampton City Council  
  • Surrey County Council 
  • West Berkshire Council  
  • West Sussex County Council  
  • Wokingham Borough Council 

Find out more about what it takes to become a foster carer in Reading by visiting BFfC’s dedicated fostering website. 

Please send any media enquiries to Holly Turner holly.turner.consulting@gmail.com / Charlotte Barnes charlotte.barnes@bracknell-forest.gov.uk.

by Joe Difford

Mental health service for Reading’s young people expands

Brighter Futures for Children’s Mental Health Support Team (MHST) is expanding to schools in north and east Reading, with the team set to provide support to all 55 state-funded schools in the borough. 

The innovative service launched in January 2020, with Reading chosen as a trailblazer for the project, which supported an initial 16 schools in west Reading. The scheme was expanded in 2022 to a further 20 schools in south central Reading. Since then, the MHST has gone on to offer low intensity interventions to support children and young people (and their families) who are experiencing emerging or mild to moderate mental health problems. 

And now, the third MHST, developed in partnership with the Integrated Care Board, will form in September of this year before formally launching in September 2025 to support the remaining 19 state-funded schools in north and east Reading. 

The teams complement existing mental health support already provided in schools and by existing professionals and services, such as school-based counsellors, educational psychologists, school nurses, primary mental health workers, school pastoral care teams, school nurses, voluntary sector organisations and CAMH services. 

The MHST was recently shortlisted as ‘Medium Team of the Year’ at the LGC Awards 2024 and was rated good or above by almost 100% of its users in last year’s annual feedback. 

Di Smith, Board Chair of Brighter Futures for Children, said: “The MHST has been providing incredible support to our children and young people for years now, so we are delighted that this expansion brings the service to all state-funded schools in Reading. 

“Access to a systemic approach to improving mental health is incredibly important to us all and the MHST supports schools in promoting their ‘whole school approach’ for mental health, providing advice and signposting. 

“The team has consistently been recognised as a fantastic resource and I’m certain it will continue to improve the mental health of children and young people across Reading.” 

Notes to Editors 

Brighter Futures for Children is a not-for-profit company owned by but independent of Reading Borough Council. We were formed in December 2018 and deliver children’s services on behalf of RBC. 

The full list of 55 schools covered by the MHST, once the expansion is complete in 2025, includes:

  • Alfred Sutton 
  • All Saints Church of England Aided Infant School   
  • All Saints Junior 
  • The Avenue Special School 
  • Battle  
  • Blessed Hugh Faringdon  
  • Caversham Park Primary School  
  • Caversham Primary School 
  • Christ the King  
  • Churchend  
  • Civitas Academy  
  • Coley  
  • Cranbury College  
  • E P Collier Primary School  
  • Emmer Green Primary School  
  • English Martyrs  
  • Geoffrey Field Infant  
  • Geoffrey Field Junior   
  • Green Park Village   
  • Hamilton College  
  • The Heights Primary School 
  • Highdown School  
  • The Hill Primary School 
  • Holy Brook School  
  • John Madejski Academy  
  • Katesgrove  
  • Kendrick School  
  • Maiden Erlegh Reading  
  • Manor  
  • Meadow Park  
  • Micklands Primary School  
  • Moorlands  
  • New Christ Church  
  • New Town Academy  
  • Oxford Road  
  • Palmer Academy  
  • Park Lane  
  • Prospect  
  • Ranikhet  
  • Reading College (whole setting work only)  
  • Reading Girls’  
  • Reading School  
  • Redlands  
  • Ridgeway  
  • Southcote   
  • St Anne's RC Catholic Primary School  
  • St John's CofE (Aided) Primary School  
  • St Martin's Catholic Primary School  
  • St Marys and All Saints 
  • St Michael’s  
  • Thameside Primary School  
  • The Wren  
  • UTC Reading    
  • Whitley Park  
  • Wilson 

More information about what support MHST can offer and how to access the service is available on BFfC’s website and on the Reading Family Information Service website. 

by Joe Difford

Reading SEND Local Offer more helpful than ever before

Almost 95% of people who contacted the statutory information service for Reading families who have children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) found it helpful or very helpful, new figures reveal. 

The annual survey of Reading’s SEND Local Offer saw an increase in the percentage of people who gave the service a thumbs up to an all-time high, beating last year’s 93% satisfaction rate. 

There was also a rise in the percentage of people who found everything they were looking for on the Local Offer, from 97% last year to more than 98.5% this year. 

Respondents particularly liked the look and feel of the Local Offer website; the comprehensive information available; the search list filter options; and the advice and guidance pages. 

Almost 80% of people currently registered for updates also take advantage of the weekly email sent out on activities, events and services. 

And one lucky Reading mum who responded to the survey won a £50 Amazon voucher for completing it, which she collected with her two children (pictured).

 

The Reading SEND Local Offer won the Best SEND Local Offer at the National Association of Family Information Services Coram Family & Childcare Conference in both 2023 and 2021, as well as the Best Community Engagement award in 2022 and Best Promotion of 2-Year-Old Funding in 2023. 

Delivery of the service in Reading is the responsibility of Brighter Futures for Children and a dedicated team works on both the Reading SEND Local Offer and the Family Information Service on its behalf. 

The Reading SEND Local Offer website is hosted on the Reading Services Guide, alongside the Family Information Service and the Adults and Carers Support Service, which is managed by Reading Borough Council. 

Di Smith, Board Chair of Brighter Futures for Children, said: “We are incredibly happy with the number of people who took the time to respond to the annual survey and are delighted that so many families found the service to be helpful. 

“Even though it might appear from the impressive figures that there isn’t much room for growth, we are always listening to suggestions and looking for ways to improve so that we can offer the very best advice and information for Reading families of children with SEND living in Reading.” 

Visit the Reading SEND Local Offer.  

Notes to editors 

To sign up to receive regular SEND Local Offer updates, please email localoffer@reading.gov.uk.  

by Joe Difford