Achieving for Children

Achieving for Children (AfC) is a social enterprise company created in 2014 by the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames and the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames to provide social services for children.[1][2] It is thought to have been the first company of its kind.[3]

Achieving for Children
TypeSocial enterprise
IndustrySocial services
Founded2014
Headquarters
England
Areas served
Richmond upon Thames, Kingston upon Thames, Windsor & Maidenhead
Websitewww.achievingforchildren.org.uk

Ofsted rates Achieving for Children as "outstanding" for children's services in the Kingston borough, following an inspection in October 2019. [4]

When the company was launched in 2014, it was described as the "future model of Children's Services".[5] It enabled the two councils to save money by sharing services whilst avoiding some of the "organisational difficulties", and allowing them to work in ways that would not be possible as a local authority.[5] Some critics were concerned that AfC represented a privatisation of children' social services[6] as well as a reduction in accountability and scrutiny,[7] and there was scepticism over whether service levels could be maintained and improved in the wake of significant spending cuts.[7] The organisation was subsequently credited with improving Kingston's children's services from an "Inadequate" to "good" Ofsted rating.[8] A 2016 independent Government review of the establishment of AfC concluded that the transformation had demonstrated positive results for service quality and financial return, with a number of benefits realised as well as lessons learned.[9]

On 1 August 2017, the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead became a co-owner of AfC, which now delivers children’s services across all three boroughs.[10][11]

In December 2019, Kingston and Richmond Councils both agreed to recommission Achieving for Children to deliver their children’s services until 31 March 2026.

Similar organisations

Similar organisations to AfC have been created in Doncaster and Slough, though these were established as part of Government interventions rather than voluntarily.[6][12][13] The Government's review of the establishment of AfC also referred to "alternative delivery models being considered or developed in other local authorities such as ... Sunderland and Birmingham, and voluntarily in areas such as Lincolnshire."[9]

References
  1. "Case Study: Children's services: Achieving for Children". Gov.uk. Cabinet Office. Retrieved 27 October 2017.
  2. "ACHIEVING FOR CHILDREN COMMUNITY INTEREST COMPANY". Companies House. Retrieved 23 October 2017.
  3. "Achieving for Children: The Future Model for Children's Services". www.adass.org.uk. Archived from the original on 27 October 2017. Retrieved 27 October 2017.
  4. "Ofsted report Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames Inspection of children's social care services". Ofsted. Retrieved 3 January 2020.
  5. "Building the 'future model of children's social services'". Community Care. Retrieved 27 October 2017.
  6. "Achieving for Children: Behind the scenes at the community interest company delivering 'the future' of children's services". Community Care. Retrieved 27 October 2017.
  7. Sharman, Jon (1 May 2015). "No answers over Achieving for Children's £7.5m spending cuts". Richmond and Twickenham Times. Retrieved 27 October 2017.
  8. Sharman, Jon (3 August 2015). "Kingston Council's child services rated 'good' by Ofsted". Richmond and Twickenham Times. Retrieved 27 October 2017.
  9. "Achieving for Children review". Gov.uk. Department for Education. Retrieved 27 October 2017.
  10. Sharman, Jon (11 July 2016). "Windsor and Maidenhead want in on Kingston and Richmond's child services revolution". Richmond and Twickenham Times. Retrieved 27 October 2017.
  11. "About Us". Achieving for Children. Retrieved 23 October 2017.
  12. "Doncaster wins case over plan to outsource children's services". Community Care. Retrieved 27 October 2017.
  13. "Support for social workers is key to fixing failing services, says Slough's new children's commissioner". Community Care. Retrieved 27 October 2017.
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