The commissioner appointed to oversee improvements at Sefton Council’s troubled children’s services department has warned councillors they are “chasing a red herring while the world burns.”
Paul Boyce, appointed by the government to oversee the council’s efforts at transforming the services, did not mince his words as he spoke to the borough’s overview and scrutiny committee on Wednesday, February 1.
Addressing the committee, he explained the role of the improvement board – which was recently restructured following criticism by the previous commissioner Paul Moffatt- includes scrutinising the actions of the council and the committee.
READ MORE: Missing mum Nicola Bulley believed to have 'fallen into the river'
He also provided more details about the function of the commissioner, stating it “relatively unusual” for such an appointment to be made, adding: “It has only happened once before in the north west of England.”
He said: “My specific responsibility is to ensure that all aspects of the improvement plan, including any actions that arise out of subsequent inspections and monitoring visits are implemented” emphasising his responsibility was to the Department for Education and not the council.
Mr Boyce spoke of the failings of leadership at Sefton council as identified in the Ofsted report, specifically around the “capacity and capability of local leaders to provide an effective children’s service which includes keeping children safe.”
He then addressed a key question raised multiple times by members of the committee – about whether minutes of the improvement board would be made available – stating this request was “sad”.
Mr Boyce said: “I do not understand the obsession with a set of minutes of a meeting that you’re not a member of. It will tell you absolutely nothing that you don’t already know.”
He claimed councillors were mistaken in thinking it was their role to scrutinise the board, adding: “I am worried about you chasing a red herring when the world around you is on fire.”
“I can’t be any clearer – your children’s services is in severe difficulties and unless you all work together to fix the problems you’ve got you will let children down in this borough as you already have as a council.”
Director of children’s services, Martin Birch said: “There’s nothing that goes into the improvement board that you don’t see.”
Cllr Mike Prendergast said the committee had been left operating under “false pretences” because of differing accounts given when the question was raised.
He said; “Part of the issue with the minutes is that when we’ve asked for them we’ve been given different reasons from what you’ve outlined there as to why we couldn’t have them.
“When we first asked, we were told you can’t have them because there’s confidential information contained – but from what you’re saying that’s not the case because you’re saying it’s the same info.
“The committee has been working under false pretences as we were being told we couldn’t have them for different reasons and incorrect reasons.”
Mr Boyce said it sounded like there was a “lack of trust” between councillors and officers.
Cllr Gareth Lloyd-Johnson asked what options were open to the commissioner if improvements were not happening.
Mr Boyce said: “The bottom line is children need to be safeguarded and services need to be of at least a certain standard.”
He said options open to him are “very limited” but include removing the function of the children’s service from the council- either through the establishment of a trust or by asking another council to take over.
Mr Boyce said: “I would sincerely hope that would not be the outcome here” and cited the cost implications for the council if this were to be implemented.
Laying out a timeline of when he would expect to see improvements, Mr Boyce revealed his initial contract was for 18 months, although he said he expects it would likely be renewed.
He said he didn’t expect to see changes in the first nine months, but if after 12 months he was not satisfied things were beginning to transform that he “would start to get really worried about whether you’ll get out of intervention.”
Mr Lloyd-Johnson asked about the importance of culture, to which Mr Boyce replied that he expected to see an “unrelenting focus” on families and children in the borough.
Responding to a question on whether children in Sefton were currently safe, Mr Boyce said: “Read the Ofsted report, that’s the answer.”
He added: “Are children safer than they were this time last year when the report was written? Probably, but to say they’re safe you need to be a lot further down the road for improvement.”
Mr Moffat issued a stark warning to councillors and said: “I don’t know what you’ve been told but it is really critical as at the end of the day, children’s services will not improve unless every person in this room, every person that works with the council and in partnership with the council is determined to make sure children’s services improve.”
Receive newsletters with the latest news, sport and what's on updates from the Liverpool ECHO by signing up here
READ NEXT
Man 'distracted by broken traffic light' killed beloved nan in horror crash
Bullied schoolboy's life changed after 'lightbulb moment'
Man threatens to kill Merseytravel guard before being sent to the floor
Paedophile threw phone onto garden shed roof when police came knocking
Shoppers 'absolutely love' £8 serum that's like 'botox in a bottle'
