Damien Moore slams Council progress on children’s services

Southport MP Damien Moore has joined the Minister for Children, Families, and Wellbeing in criticising the Labour-led Sefton Council for insufficient improvement to their Children’s Social Services.

Since the most recent damning Ofsted report, in which Sefton Council was awarded the lowest attenable rating of ‘inadequate’, a Government-appointed Commissioner has been tasked with ensuring that the Local Authority makes rapid progress to improve the failing social services.

The Minister for Children, Families, and Wellbeing, Claire Coutinho MP, has this week written to the Council, directing Sefton to deliver the recommendations set out in the Commissioner’s June 2023 report, alongside any outstanding recommendations which have previously been identified by Ofsted.

In the Minister’s letter, the Council has been criticised for not making adequate improvements to the services, despite having obtained external assistance from another Labour-led local authority, Leeds City Council.

This news comes as Ofsted have previously raised concerns on the lack of progress within the services, in March 2023 stating that had been “insufficient progress in improving the response to children in need of help and protection”, and that “[t]he pace of improvement is too slow and most practice weaknesses… remain today”.

Mr. Moore previously met with Minster Coutinho to raise concerns over the services, and more recently, with Commissioner Paul Boyce, following the publication of his June 2023 report to Government. Mr. Moore will continue to ensure that the necessary steps are taken to deliver the much improvements to Southport’s local services.

Damien Moore said: “It is imperative that Sefton Council implement the commissioner’s recommendations, and as directed by the Minister for Children, Families, and Wellbeing, at the earliest opportunity. I am grateful to the Minister for her time in meeting with me about this issue, and for taking on board my immense concerns about the Council’s governance.

“Sefton are consistently being told now, that insufficient improvements are being made to the Children’s services, and I cannot simply stand by and watch while Sefton continue to fail our town’s young people and families.

“I will continue to do all I can to stand up for children in our town.”