Government 'very concerned' after report on Sandwell Council's services for vulnerable children

The Department for Education will meet with the authority to discuss a damning Ofsted report, which came two years after significant improvements were demanded.

Council bosses are refusing to accept the latest verdict and say no-one will resign, despite political and service heads standing down in 2013.

Leader Councillor Darren Cooper said if the Government plans to intervene it should send in another authority to help as officers and councillors had already spent

£1 million with private company Impower.

• Widespread and serious failures leaving children at risk of harm

• Poor arrangements to manage missing children or those at risk of sexual exploitation

• The council does not fully understand the 'scale and prevalence of child sexual exploitation in Sandwell

• The council is failing in its statutory duty to assess all aspects of private fostering [/breakout]

The council was judged inadequate for children's services in two Ofsted inspections in 2013. A new report, revealed on Friday, said there were 'widespread and serious failures' and accused the authority of not understanding the 'prevalence' of child sexual exploitation.

DfE spokesman Anna Croall said: "We are very concerned to hear child protection in Sandwell has again been judged as failing by independent inspectors. Any failure in children's services is very serious and it is vital swift action is taken.

"Sandwell is already in intervention and it is clear from the Ofsted report that the necessary improvements have not been made. Officials will be meeting with the council to ensure a robust plan is put in place to bring rapid improvements."

Councillor Cooper said: "Independent experts do not agree with Ofsted. We are not where we were two years ago. If we need to do things differently, then let's have another council come and help us. We've tried the private sector, which is what the Government wanted, and it's cost us £1m. We've made vast improvements.

"We've reduced the number of agency staff and we're working with the police and other services to keep children safe. This verdict risks demoralising staff who have actually done a tremendous job."

An independent expert appointed by the DfE to advise the council, Prof Ray Jones of Kingston University, said: "Ofsted has only been looking at social workers and are therefore not presenting the whole picture."