Leader admits his town’s child services plan not good enough

THE LEADER of Wakefield Council has admitted the authority’s plan to improve children’s services is not good enough.

Coun Peter Box, inset, made the comment while speaking about a damning Ofsted letter which revealed serious failings in the council’s services for youngsters in a meeting of the full council yesterday.

Following remarks from Wakefield Conservative leader Coun Nadeem Ahmed that the improvement plan “must appropriately address the issues raised”, Coun Box said: “Is the plan sufficiently robust? In my view, it is not.

“We need a more robust plan.” The letter, published last week after inspectors visited in February, said vulnerable children in the district were being put at risk of harm. Coun Box said he accepted the letter in its entirety and it was clear the council need to improve its performance.

He told councillors he had asked chief executive Merran McRae to look at what immediate additional resources were needed to support a “robust improvement plan” and said the plan would be agreed at a cabinet meeting.

He said he had also asked Ms McRae to establish an improvement board and expected to see “clear impact” within three months.

The meeting took place a day after Coun Olivia Rowley was stripped of her post as the council’s cabinet member for children and young people.

Coun Rowley said: “I have been involved in this particular area for many years and feel passionately about the children and young people in our district.”

She added: “On Monday the leader and deputy leader agreed that I should take a break.”