'If Government want children services improved, they need to stop local government reorganisation'
Devon County Council's been told its on 'final notice' for its children's services which have been rated as 'inadequate' since 2020 - but the council says the inspector's praised its changes and warned progress could be delayed by a forced reorganisation
There's a warning the running of children's services could be taken off Devon County Council from March - unless improvements are made.
A letter has been sent from the Department for Education to the council's inadequate children's service, which has been repeatedly-rated that way since 2020.
It highlighted that the 'risk of harm' was particularly high for 'children experiencing neglect and domestic abuse, those at risk of extra-familial harm and care leavers living in unsuitable accommodation'.
Officials at county hall have hit back saying progress is being made - and the inspector himself has warned the Government policy of forced local government reorganisation could hold back its improvements.
The Lib-Dem run authority took charge in May after the local elections and Councillor Richard Jefferies, the new Cabinet Member for Children's Services, spoke to our Chief Reporter Andrew Kay
Exeter MP Steve Race says it's a final warning, adding: "This is the last chance for Devon County Council to implement real change for vulnerable children under their watch. With more stable leadership in Devon County Council over the past year, and a new reorganisation of parts of the service, some green shoots have started to appear and I welcome this.
“However, feedback I have had from stakeholders remains that the service is woefully short of where it should be. The Minister’s letter makes clear that Devon County Council remain in the last chance saloon, and I welcome the Government’s instruction that the Commissioner should remain in place for now, to continue to scrutinise the improvement process. After years of damning inspections, I believe progress is still too slow and the most at-risk children in our communities continue to be failed."
In his letter Josh MacAlister, the Minister for Children and Families, said: "For too long, vulnerable children and families in Devon have been failed by services and this cannot continue. It is imperative that you maintain a relentless focus to build upon the early signs of improvement evidenced by the Commissioner, to ensure children and families have access to the quality of service that they deserve.”
It added: "While I am prepared to allow the Council to continue with your current improvement work, you should proceed on the basis that the Department will not hesitate to move to a Trust model of intervention if progress stalls or if evidence suggests that improvements cannot be secured at the pace and scale required."
In response Devon County Council says the report acknowledges progress and points out it is undergoing a local government reorganisation process - implemented by the current Government. Officials cite that the report suggests there is a risk to improving services through the reorganisation.
At the moment the Government is deciding how best to improve the local council structure in Devon - with rival bids on the table from different authorities. The report states: "The bigger concern would be for any recommendation which leads to the break-up and fragmentation of Devon County Council and the existing arrangements for children’s services."
It adds: "Given the positive improvement trajectory I have seen and identified in this report and the critical importance of having a well led and well-functioning children’s services for the local population anything that breaks that model would risk stopping the existing work in its tracks with an even bigger risk that things would quickly slip backwards."