Herefordshire Children's Services report 'not as bad as it ought to be'

Conservative MP Sir Bill Wiggin

A damning Ofsted report that judged Herefordshire Council's children's services inadequate is "not as bad as it ought to be", says a local MP.

The judgement, published on Wednesday, found "widespread and serious failures" in the council's safeguarding.

But Sir Bill Wiggin, MP for North Herefordshire, said inspectors had been "very gentle" on the authority.

"I've never seen the misery that this department has caused to families," he said.

Paul Walker, CEO of Herefordshire Council apologised for the "long-standing" and deep-rooted" failings

"I had a public meeting in Leominster not so long ago and the stories that came out were just the worst I've ever heard," the Conservative MP added.

"This is much more serious than just inadequate. It's really really dreadful."

Ofsted inspectors highlighted failings in the council's protection of children after a three-week visit in July.

The government has now intervened, with a statutory direction that requires the local authority to co-operate with Children's Commissioner Eleanor Brazil to ensure improvements are made.

On Wednesday, the council's chief executive Paul Walker apologised for the failings.

"Children and their families in Herefordshire deserve better and I'm committed to delivering the improvements that are needed," he said.

However, Sir Bill said the department's inadequacies had made children's lives "utterly miserable".

"At least the government is stepping in, hopefully we will get the change that these young people need," he said.

"They're going to have to be very impressive very quickly in order to satisfy me, or indeed Ofsted or indeed any of the families, that things are getting better."