A SIX MILLION pound investment boost has been announced for Children’s Services by Somerset County Council following two years of damning Ofsted reports and controversy surrounding leadership of the services.

The investment was announced by Council leader Cllr John Osman at Wednesday's Full Council meeting, and includes plans to recruit up to 100 extra children’s social work staff and a new scrutiny committee dedicated to Children's Services will be created.

The council say the move underlines the authority’s commitment to child protection and is thought to be one of the biggest investments in social work recruitment of any county council in the country.

It comes just two months after another damning report from Ofsted, branding the authority’s children’s services “Inadequate” and saying there had been a “corporate failure” to keep children safe.

The council was slammed for the “continual churn” in the senior leadership team over the last ten years, saying it had inhibited the development of the service, severely restricting the authority’s progress and seriously affecting the quality of services to children and families.

Children who need help and protection, children looked after and achieving permanence, experiences and progress of care leaders, leadership, management and governance were given an inadequate by the statutory body.

The report also criticised services to protect children at risk of sexual exploitation which were said to be underde

veloped and that plans for better interventions and services were not made when children go missing.

The hard-work of social workers was praised and a team from Essex County Council was drafted in to help the authority.

“I have said that we would continue to provide what is needed for the service to make rapid improvements,” said Cllr Osman.

“And this investment shows the size of this council’s commitment.

“There were signs of progress in the Ofsted report and it is essential that with our partners we continue to build on these.

The challenge – which I expect to be met with the help of this extra investment – is to improve from inadequate by this time next year and be rated good or above in three years time.”

The funding, which is ring-fenced over three years looks to recruit an extra 100 social workers, support staff and fund preventative work to address issues before they reach social work staff.

It would see almost double the number of qualified frontline social workers. Cllr Justine Baker, shadow portfolio holder for children and families, welcomed the investment but added: “It’s a shame it couldn’t be seen as urgent two years ago when services were first given an inadequate.”

Cllr Osman added: “Improvements have to be built on stability, strong partnerships and staff.”

A cross-party Scrutiny Committee for Children’s Services will be created.

Cllr Christopher Le Hardy will be responsibile for Improvement.