Further intervention at Solihull Council’s children’s services, Government’s letter to Education Committee suggests

19 October 2022

The Education Committee publishes a response from the Secretary of State for Education, Rt Hon Kit Malthouse MP, regarding ongoing concerns over the state of Solihull and Bradford councils’ children’s services.

The local authorities came under scrutiny following the murders in 2020 of Star Hobson, age one, and Arthur Labinjo-Hughes, age six.

The Secretary of State writes that he is dissatisfied with Solihull Council’s progress in improving its children’s services, and now feels “minded to issue a statutory direction”. This would involve deploying a commissioner “to instruct [Solihull] as to how to improve the children’s social care functions”.

The Secretary of State’s letter came in response to correspondence from Committee Chair Robert Halfon MP, in which he was asked to assess whether the councils’ leaders were “capable of continuing to try and establish significant change”.

The Committee’s correspondence to Mr Malthouse was prompted by evidence given by chief executives of both local authorities to the Committee in June 2022. The Committee condemned the “inadequate” response from both councils.

Mr Malthouse’s letter also confirms that Bradford Council’s children’s services will be taken over by a trust, which they expect to launch on 1 April 2023.

The Secretary of State also outlines how training has been provided to councillors in a third of local authorities, as well as intensive leadership support, after the Committee expressed concern about leadership capabilities in local authorities. He also points to a reduction in the number of councils whose children’s services are rated ‘inadequate’.

The Committee notes the Minister’s statement that he wishes to improve safeguarding systems after considering recommendations from the Independent Review of Children’s Social Care, which he says will lead to delivery of an “implementation strategy” to improve safeguarding in councils by the end of 2022.

Chair's comments

Education Committee Chair Robert Halfon MP said:

"I welcome the Secretary of State’s announcement that he will escalate the Government’s intervention at Solihull Council, following recommendations this Committee made. The fact that Bradford Council is effectively being relieved of its management of children’s services in the city is also deeply regrettable in the first place, though I don’t doubt its necessity.

The Minister’s statement that he will take recommendations from the Independent Review of Children’s Social Care must not merely be just another review, or a tickbox exercise. Instead, the Department must build on this positive start and ensure that reforms are based on evidence, and work properly to ensure no more children come to harm, as in the horrific cases of Arthur and Star.

This Committee will continue to hold local authorities and children’s services organisations to a high level of scrutiny where there is evidence of failure, particularly at the level seen in Bradford and Solihull which contributed to the tragic deaths of two children.”