North East Lincolnshire Council faces intervention from private sector

North East Lincolnshire Council is to become the first authority
to face private sector intervention in a children’s services
department next month, writes Mithran
Samuel.

It has selected a consortium involving education specialists
Mouchel Parkman and social care consultants Outcomes UK as
preferred bidder for a three-year contract to help run its learning
and child care directorate.

The intervention was ordered by the government and will be part
funded by the Department for Education and Skills, following a
damning Ofsted report on the council’s education service last
December.

The partnership will be headed by former Newcastle Council
director of education Phil Turner, and the two firms will bring in
a number of other managers to help run the directorate.