Birmingham children’s director departs ‘by mutual consent’

Council's adults' director, Peter Hay, takes over children's services department, which remains under government notice to improve, following departure of Peter Duxbury.

Birmingham council’s children’s services director Peter Duxbury has left the council with immediate effect, after 14 months in the role.

The council’s adults’ director, Peter Hay, has taken interim responsibility for the council’s troubled children’s services department, which has been under a government notice to improve since 2009 and was rated as ‘inadequate’ for child protection by Ofsted last October.

“Peter Duxbury has left the employment of Birmingham City Council by mutual agreement the terms of which are confidential but are in line with those offered to other staff leaving the council. The council is continuing with the improvement strategy for its services for children, young people and families.”

Duxbury, who is a social worker by background, joined Birmingham last April, after steering Lincolnshire council from an ‘adequate’ to an ‘outstanding’ Ofsted rating during a seven-year tenure there as director. He was previously director of children’s at Liverpool council.

Following the last Ofsted inspection, Duxbury gave a commitment to deliver “significant improvements” by this autumn. However, last month, councillors on the education and vulnerable children overview and scrutiny committee expressed concerns that the council had improved on only three out of 41 performance indicators since the beginning of the year, and over levels of vacant posts, senior management changes and sickness absence. 

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