Herefordshire child services to be reviewed

Herefordshire Council said plans are in place to continue improvements in its children's safeguarding services.

Herefordshire's child services are to be reviewed after two girls in its care were failed on a "serious basis"

Two rulings, highly critical of the service, were published in December, one where two sisters were not put up for adoption and another where twins were put up separately.

The council said on Friday is has arranged for Doncaster Council to review part of its operations.

Doncaster was chosen because of previous good practice, it said.

A report to the extraordinary full council meeting on Friday, set out changes Herefordshire has made.

Staff from Doncaster Council will be looking at Herefordshire's independent review officer service, which examines care plans for children and were an area of particular concern in the judgements.

An extraordinary meeting was held at Shirehall in Hereford to receive a report on the actions taken and planned, around children's services

During the meeting, councillors raised concerns about structural issues and a lack of resources being to blame.

Council leader Jonathan Lester apologised for the failings, and said the standard of service had fallen well below what it should be.

After the meeting Elissa Swinglehurst, cabinet member with responsibility for children's wellbeing, said the council did not believe any other children had suffered similar failings in its care.

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The council will share its actions with Ofsted and said plans are "in place" to ensure services continued to improve.