Council warned over child deaths

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Birmingham City Council confirmed that the Government had informed its leader that an improvement notice is to be served on the authority, requiring it to make rapid progress in the next year.

The measure, which was welcomed by the council, follows the deaths of 15 children, some of whom had had contact with social services, over the past four years.

In a letter to the leader of the council, Children's Minister Beverley Hughes also confirmed that a package of support would be provided to help improve services. The minister said she was very concerned that Ofsted inspectors had identified a number of issues around the safeguarding of children in Birmingham, deeming part of the city council's services to be inadequate.

Ms Hughes wrote: "Given the critical importance of managing risks to children's safety and the need to ensure that progress is made swiftly and decisively, I have instructed my officials to work with Birmingham to provide a package of intervention support.

"I am keen to see swift improvements in Birmingham and for children, young people and families to receive the service they deserve. I have decided therefore to underpin the improvement measures and progress I expect with an improvement notice."

The support package will see two interim assistant directors recruited to work on the safeguarding children service and a team of external consultants will also conduct a root-and-branch review of the city's Safeguarding Children Board.

The progress made by the council will be reviewed after six and 12 months and statutory powers may be used to "direct a solution" if sufficient improvements are not made, Ms Hughes warned.

The support package was welcomed by Birmingham's strategic director for children, young people and families, Tony Howell.

"This is a positive development," he said. "The Government is expecting robust and sustained progress which they will review after 12 months. But rapid progress is something we have been determined to drive through ourselves and I am pleased the Government has recognised our capacity to do that whilst strengthening the resources available to us."