Welsh council taken off special measures

Torfaen Council in Wales has been taken off special measures
after making improvements since a critical joint review.

The move comes after inspectors from the Social Services
Inspectorate praised the authority for its progress last year.

A joint review in December 1999 said the council suffered from a
lack of leadership and direction, inadequate communication and
dangerously poor record keeping.

But the council launched a recovery plan led by Gary Birch,
director of social services, which included four programmes for
change covering culture, strategy, business processes and
practice.

Birch said: “Although there are many improvements yet to be made
we are delighted to have proved ourselves worthy of this
endorsement.

“To have secured this in just over a year is a quite remarkable
achievement,” he said.