Failing children’s services face takeover, PM will say
BBC News | 14 December 2015
Local authority social services in England that are found to be failing vulnerable children will face tough new measures, the PM is to announce.
Under the plans, departments judged inadequate by Ofsted will have six months to improve or be taken over by high-performing councils and charities.
“We, the state, are their parents; and we are failing them,” David Cameron will say of society’s most vulnerable.
“It is our duty to put this right,” he will add.
Councils’ failings have been exposed by a series of recent child abuse cases in Rochdale, Rotherham, Derby and Oxfordshire.
‘High-calibre graduates’
In future, emergency inspections of children’s services by the care watchdog Ofsted will be more easily triggered following complaints from whistleblowers or evidence of poor leadership.
Where councils do not make significant improvements within six months, there will be similar measures to those used to deal with failing schools.
High-performing councils, including Hampshire, Leeds and Durham, child protection experts and charities will be asked to form trusts to take over the worst children’s services and will have powers to get rid of staff.
Like academy schools, such councils will be given greater freedom to innovate.
More than £100m is to be spent attracting high-calibre graduates into social work.
