Cornwall Council children’s services boss quits

A FORMER teacher in charge of children’s services in Cornwall has resigned, days before the publication of a report expected to find serious flaws in aspects of his department’s work.

Cornwall Council yesterday confirmed Dean Ashton has resigned from his post as Cornwall’s corporate director for children, schools and families, just before the release of an Ofsted inspectors’ report.

Their visit in July focused on the local authority’s work with vulnerable children and youngsters at risk, and will contribute to a wider review of children’s services by the educational standards agency.

Announcing his decision, Mr Ashton said while children’s services in Cornwall have significantly improved over the past three years, particularly in terms of education, family services, youth services and childhood poverty, it had not improved enough in the one key area of children’s social care.

Mr Ashton was the first person to take on the role of director of children’s services following the creation of the 2004 Children’s Act, designed to lead to major changes in the way services for children and young people are provided.

The new legislation was based on five main outcomes – children being healthy, staying safe, enjoying and achieving, making a positive contribution and achieving economic well-being.

The inspectors’ report is understood to have found some areas where contact, referral and assessment arrangements were satisfactory, but highlights 12 areas for development and two for priority action.

The priority areas include its assessment and risk management practices, which Ofsted said have significant weaknesses.

In July this year, the chief executive of the British Association of Social Workers, Hilton Dawson, wrote to Cornwall Council’s chief executive Kevin Lavery on behalf of members in the county. He said they had serious concerns that children in Cornwall may not be “fully safeguarded” due to a planned restructuring of social services, in a bid to save £29 million from the council budget.

A council spokesman said the Ofsted inspection in July “had confirmed that the quality of practice in this area remains inconsistent”.

Mr Ashton, a former deputy head of Penrice Community College, St Austell, said he felt the time was right for someone else to take a “new approach to improving standards within this crucial aspect of the service as part of a wider high performing children’s service”.

Mr Ashton’s department had an annual budget of around £450 million and a team of more than 12,000 staff, including teachers, providing education for the county’s 100,000 children.

He took up his new post as corporate director for children, schools and families last November.

Mr Lavery said: “I am sad to see Dean go and would like to thank him for everything he has done for children’s services in Cornwall over recent years. I wish him well for the future.”

The council is expected to make further announcements on the future of the service next week.