West Sussex’s education department to be placed in trust with children’s services

The move, which also includes early help services, was criticised by members of the opposition.

But Jacquie Russell, cabinet member for children and young people, said not to do so could be seen by the government as the council ‘back-tracking’ on its commitments to improve.

Mrs Russell also pointed out that it was ‘quite possible’ that the Secretary of State for Education would order it done anyway.

In 2019, a damning Ofsted report saw children’s services rated ‘inadequate’ while commissioner John Coughlan found the council ‘did not have the capacity or capability’ to improve those services.

At a meeting of the cabinet this week, members gave chief executive officer Becky Shaw the go-ahead to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the Department for Education.

While not a legal agreement, it represents a formal understanding between the two that a Trust will be established and sets out how it will progress.

As for the Trust itself, it is expected to become operational from October 1, 2021 and will initially run for five years.

It will be a wholly owned subsidiary of the council but will operate independently, with no councillors sitting on its board.

The plan to place education and early help within the trust along with children’s services came as no surprise to many.

The three were lumped together in September 2019 under the new Executive Directorate of Children, Young People and Learning.

Lucy Butler, who took over as director in April, is the council’s choice to be chief executive of the trust, but this needs to be given the nod by the Department for Education.

Work to improve children’s services has been progressing at pace, including the launch of the Children First Improvement Plan.

Mrs Russell also told the meeting that Mr Coughlan, who was re-appointed to advise on proposals for the trust, had ‘formed a favourable view of the council’s commitment to change and our direction of travel’.

But Ms Butler told the meeting there was still ‘a long, long way to go’.

Labour leader Michael Jones said October 1, 2021 would be a ‘very dark day in the history of this council’ and asked why no one had been held accountable for the ‘appalling failures’.

Raising concerns about the consequences for staff and their morale, he added: “The bottom line has got to be that the creation of the trust results in the support that the children of West Sussex need and deserve.

“I’m just sorry that this council was not up to the job of providing that itself.”