Children’s directors being set up to fail

Fears that the role of children’s services director could
effectively be one of “responsibility without power” were raised by
the leader of Bradford Metropolitan District Council Margaret
Eaton.

She said she was concerned that the position, which will cover
responsibility for education and social services, would leave the
person who took it as “someone to blame when things go
wrong”.

In large local authorities, between two-thirds and three-quarters
of their budget would be spent on children’s services, yet
children’s services directors would have no control over, for
example, schools.

Strategic adviser for social care at the Improvement and
Development Agency Nigel Druce raised concerns about each council
preparing for a change in the delivery of children’s services in a
different way, describing it as “frankly chaotic”.