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| Northamptonshire Council: Government to oversee children's services | |
| (3 days later) | |
| The government is to oversee a cash-strapped council's children's services department after a report found people in its care were at "potential risk". | |
| Earlier this month, a letter from Ofsted to the chief executive of Northamptonshire County Council said its social workers were "overwhelmed". | Earlier this month, a letter from Ofsted to the chief executive of Northamptonshire County Council said its social workers were "overwhelmed". |
| The government says the council's children's services is failing to perform "to an adequate standard". | The government says the council's children's services is failing to perform "to an adequate standard". |
| The authority has twice banned itself from spending in 2018 amid cash issues. | The authority has twice banned itself from spending in 2018 amid cash issues. |
| A children's services commissioner has been appointed with the task of "securing immediate improvement in the authority's delivery of children's social care services". | A children's services commissioner has been appointed with the task of "securing immediate improvement in the authority's delivery of children's social care services". |
| Malcolm Newsam, who will take up the role, joins two other government-appointed commissioners at the county council. | Malcolm Newsam, who will take up the role, joins two other government-appointed commissioners at the county council. |
| Mr Newsam's previous appointments include a period as the commissioner for children's social care in Rotherham. | Mr Newsam's previous appointments include a period as the commissioner for children's social care in Rotherham. |
| The Conservative-run council - which has committed to make £65m of cuts - will be scrapped in 2020, along with seven other Northamptonshire borough and district councils, to make way for two new unitary authorities. | The Conservative-run council - which has committed to make £65m of cuts - will be scrapped in 2020, along with seven other Northamptonshire borough and district councils, to make way for two new unitary authorities. |
| On Thursday, it was announced that next May's elections for Northamptonshire have been postponed while a consultation on the future of the county's local government structure is taken out. | On Thursday, it was announced that next May's elections for Northamptonshire have been postponed while a consultation on the future of the county's local government structure is taken out. |
| You may also be interested in: | You may also be interested in: |
| Meanwhile, the government has given the county council permission to spend £70m of capital receipts - for example from the sale of assets like County Hall - to help balance its books. | Meanwhile, the government has given the county council permission to spend £70m of capital receipts - for example from the sale of assets like County Hall - to help balance its books. |
| In a statement, the Northamptonshire Commissioners said the decision "will enable Northamptonshire to pay off the deficit carried over from last year, and to restore a sensible level of reserves, all from within the Council's own financial resources". | In a statement, the Northamptonshire Commissioners said the decision "will enable Northamptonshire to pay off the deficit carried over from last year, and to restore a sensible level of reserves, all from within the Council's own financial resources". |
| However, the dispensation will not allow for the funds to be used to subsidise next year's budget. | However, the dispensation will not allow for the funds to be used to subsidise next year's budget. |
| Matt Golby, the council's leader, said the authority was now making progress towards greater financial stability. | Matt Golby, the council's leader, said the authority was now making progress towards greater financial stability. |