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Doncaster Council could lose children's services work Doncaster Council could lose children's services work
(about 3 hours later)
An outside body could take over children's social care services from a failing council, the education secretary has said.An outside body could take over children's social care services from a failing council, the education secretary has said.
Michael Gove has asked a top academic to lead a review of child protection work at Doncaster Council.Michael Gove has asked a top academic to lead a review of child protection work at Doncaster Council.
That review could lead to an organisation independent of the council taking control, he said.That review could lead to an organisation independent of the council taking control, he said.
The Mayor of Doncaster, Peter Davies, said he would be "considering the Secretary of State's proposals".
The council has been under central government control since 2010 and Mr Gove wants that to continue until 2015.The council has been under central government control since 2010 and Mr Gove wants that to continue until 2015.
The council has not yet responded to requests for comment. Mr Gove ordered the review in response to Lord Carlile's report published in November, highlighting continuing weaknesses in child protection services in Doncaster.
In a letter to the Mayor of Doncaster, Peter Davies, Mr Gove said "serious and longstanding" failures in Doncaster's children's services required "significant action". Lord Carlile's investigation was carried out in the wake of the Edlington case, in which two young boys were tortured by two brothers, aged 11 and 12, in April 2009
'Change required''Change required'
He has asked Prof Julian Le Grand, from the London School of Economics, supported by Alan Wood, director of children's services in Hackney, to review the children's social care services department. In a letter to Mr Davies, Mr Gove said "serious and longstanding" failures in Doncaster's children's services required "significant action".
Mr Gove said they would report back to him in May on any progress made since the last Ofsted report in November 2012, the likelihood of current governance arrangements providing sufficient improvement and whether the services should instead be delivered by a third party organisation. He has asked Prof Julian Le Grand, from the London School of Economics, supported by Alan Wood, director of children's services in Hackney, to review the children's social care services department and report back to him in May.
However, Mr Gove said "immediate improvement measures" had to be put in place in the meantime.However, Mr Gove said "immediate improvement measures" had to be put in place in the meantime.
He wrote: "I therefore also expect the council to contract immediately with an external delivery partner to provide the capability and capacity to improve the standard of child protection practice. He wrote: "I therefore also expect the council to contract immediately with an external delivery partner to provide the capability and capacity to improve the standard of child protection practice."
"I believe these steps are the ones required to establish the best possible chance of the very significant and sustainable change required in Doncaster." 'Long way to go'
Mr Davies, Doncaster's independent elected mayor, said he would reply to Mr Gove "in due course".
"There have been significant improvements in our services but I have always made it clear that we still have a long way to go and need to accelerate the pace of change.
"As the latest report indicates there are no quick fixes and we must remember that we are responding to a huge problem that has been decades in the making."
The review has been welcomed by the town's Labour MPs - Ed Miliband, Caroline Flint and Rosie Winterton - and by lawyers representing the victims of the Edlington attack.
Sonia Hume-Dawson, of Wosskow Brown Solicitors, said: "Everyone involved in the aftermath of these crimes will be relieved that action is being taken and the families involved welcome the Secretary of State's intervention."