Powys children's service 'serious concerns' remain for inspectors

Powys council is working to improve its children's services after a critical report in 2017

Care inspectors still have "serious concerns" about a council's under-fire children's services more than a year after a damning report.

Powys County Council was plunged into crisis in October 2017 when the report said failings had put children at risk.

Care Inspectorate Wales (CIW) said a follow-up visit in October 2018 found improvements but staff turnover in the department remained a concern.

Council leader Rosemarie Harris said it faced a long-term improvement journey.

An extra £12m has been pumped into children's services this year to improve the situation.

But publishing its latest report on Wednesday, CIW said there "continue to be areas of practice where we have serious concerns".

"The continued turnover in the workforce and temporary middle management arrangements have been significant factors impeding the pace of change," it said.

CIW noted improvements in oversight by senior officers, ease of access to children's services, and more frequent visits to protected or looked-after children.

However, it said more work was needed in other areas, such as the need to increase co-operation with other organisations to respond more quickly to help children at risk, and to improve the choice of placements.

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Councillor Harris said the authority fully accepted the regulator's recommendations, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

"This inspection took place one year after the initial inspection report of children's services was published, we are aware that this will be a long-term improvement journey for the service."

Rachel Powell, cabinet member for children's services, added: "We had already begun to address many of the issues and have made changes to bring about improvement."

A new permanent head of children's services started work in October, and a restructuring of the service will be in place by April.

The full council will discuss the report later this month.