Important that council’s ‘inadequate’ children’s services dept gets every support – judge

New bosses at a council children’s services department which was criticised by inspectors face an enormous task, a family court judge has said.

Ofsted rated Gloucestershire County Council’s children’s services department “inadequate” in June.

Local family court judge Stephen Wildblood says it is important that new interim managers get “every support” as they try to put things right.

He has outlined thoughts after criticising social workers’ handling of a child’s case when the department was run by the old regime.

The judge said the child had been wrongly removed from home.

He suggested that the child’s mother would claim damages.

Judge Wildblood oversaw the child’s case at a private family court hearing in Gloucester.

He has outlined criticisms in a written ruling on the case and said the child could not be identified.

“To my mind the events in this case give a clear example of the enormity of the task that now befalls that (new leadership) team,” he said.

“(They) signal how important it is that the new leadership team is offered every support and assistance in putting right the things that have been going wrong.”

He added: “I have met with the new leadership team and intend to continue to do so in order to offer any assistance I can.”

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