Churchman leaves children's committee amid concerns

Sam Pratley said he would not recommend a replacement until there was any point

A senior Herefordshire church figure has resigned over the body that oversees children's services in the county, saying he was "horrified" by families' concerns.

Sam Pratley, diocesan secretary and chief executive of the Diocese of Hereford, was a co-opted (external) member of Herefordshire Council's children and young people scrutiny committee, which is predominantly made up of elected councillors.

With responsibility for 78 Church of England schools in Herefordshire and beyond, the diocese has a direct involvement in young people's welfare in the county.

A Herefordshire Council spokesman said: "We would not comment on the reasons why a committee member may choose to resign."

Mr Pratley said five years on the committee led to him becoming "a lightning rod for families' concerns" – some of which he was "horrified" by.

He said when he raised issues with committee members, political leaders and senior officials, he felt fobbed off.

"You are told, 'it's all being taken care of', but nothing changes," he said.

'Genuine talks rare'

In a resignation letter to chairman Councillor Toni Fagan, Mr Pratley said he was "absolutely sick" of the way the committee operates.

He said there was "rarely any genuine discussion" in meetings, with outcomes "almost non-existent".

His attempts to pass on families' concerns and complaints to the committee "have generally made the situation worse not better" Mr Pratley added.

"I won't be recommending a replacement from the Diocese until I am satisfied that there is any point," his letter concluded.

The council spokesman said: "The children and young people scrutiny committee plays an important role in reviewing and scrutinising the council's children's services, policies and decisions.

"It has been, and continues to be, instrumental in holding the council to account for the effective implementation of children's services improvement plan."

Children's commissioner Eleanor Brazil was appointed in 2022 to investigate failings in Herefordshire Council's children's services department after Ofsted rated it inadequate.

In a report last month, she said despite some progress over two years, "everything has taken too long".

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, which covers councils and other public service organisations.