Council has ‘turned around’ after child grooming scandal
ROTHERHAM COUNCIL has “turned itself around” following the child sex exploitation scandal and appears ready to return to democratic control after Government intervention, the Local Government Secretary has said.
Commissioners were appointed to run the council three years ago in the wake of damning reports into the way more than 1,400 children were groomed, abused and trafficked in the South Yorkshire town for more than a decade.
Yesterday, James Brokenshire said he is minded to return control of all services to the council, including children’s social care.
This means he will withdraw all three commissioners who began work in Rotherham in February 2015 following the publication of a report by Dame Louise Casey which found significant failings at the council.
That followed the report of Professor Alexis Jay, which shocked the nation when it outlined how hundreds of girls had been exploited by gangs of largely Pakistani heritage men from 19972013 as police and social workers did little to intervene.
Mr Brokenshire said: “The council has made strong progress and, having carefully considered evidence provided by our commissioners, I am minded to return all powers.
“This is not a decision I take lightly, but I am assured the council has turned itself around and is now providing the services that its residents deserve and expect.”
Rotherham MP Sarah Champion said she was “delighted”, adding: “The past failures at Rotherham Council were appalling, but it has made huge strides and is unrecognisable from 2015.”
But she added: “While significant progress has been made, we have to be realistic and acknowledge that there is still some way to go to deliver the council the people of Rotherham deserve and to restore public trust.’
Council leader Chris Read said: “Today’s announcement is a reflection of more than three years of hard work by lots of people – our staff, commissioners and councillors – who were all united in determination that the people of Rotherham should be better served than they had been in the past.
“The council today is a very different organisation.”