Telford & Wrekin child services boss needed
Friday 13th May 2011, 11:30AM BST.
Telford & Wrekin Council is on the lookout for a six-figure-salaried top officer to oversee children’s services, following the publication of a damning national report on child protection.
One of the main recommendations of the Munro Report, a Government commissioned independent review of child protection, was that all councils should have a dedicated director of children’s services.
The report into services in England was published on Wednesday.
Telford & Wrekin Council has not had a full-time director of children’s services since last summer when Julia Almond retired. Her salary at the time was more than £108,000.
The job has since been covered by the council’s chief executive Victor Brownlees but the authority’s new controlling Labour group now wants a dedicated, full-time appointment.
Mr Brownlees said: “The Munro Report has given some very clear guidance that this role should be a full time position and we will be moving to recruit to this as quickly as possible.”
Councillor Paul Watling, who is set to be made Telford & Wrekin Council’s cabinet member for children and young people and families at a meeting on May 26, said the council’s Labour administration had given its backing to the findings of the Munro Report.
He said the Munro Report made clear that all councils should have a dedicated director of children’s services and the new administration had signalled its intention to accept the recommendation.
Councillor Watling said: “Safeguarding children is the most important job we as a council fulfil and I have never believed the role could be done by someone who also has another important job. Head of children’s services is not a part-time role.
“As a new administration we of course have to watch every penny, but there are some things which no one can put a price on and safeguarding children is one of those.
“We will be beginning the recruitment process as soon as possible and I am confident we will have a number of top quality applicants.”
The Labour group said the decision to appoint a dedicated director of children’s services was also a manifesto commitment.
By Simon Hardy
UK News
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Better trained frontline staff is what’s need – not another overpaid fat cat.
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Talk about short sighted HM. Telford should have had a head of children’s services throughout. What price children’s safety?
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Well said HM. Seconded.
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why cant they share one with shropshire??
might cut the management bill as well as improve co-ordination of what is surely a transboundary issue
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So they’ve managed fo rnearly a year without this “nonjob” post being filled….it must really warrant a £108K salary if the job is that “demanding ” then!
More local government cloud cukoo land salaries!
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Sorry folks! I do know how to spell cuckoo, nearly and for but my keyboard is poorly today!
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I agree with those posting that another “fat cat” is not required. How much did Shropshire local authorities have to pay out in severance and compensation to those heads of district council departments displaced when it became a unitary authority?
If schools in Shropshire are having to share heads, then surely the same can happen with a position such as that proposed – share it with Shropshire county – of which Telford and Wrekin, for all its unitary status, is still a geographic part.
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Guess most here haven’t read the Article, the Government Reports states that all councils should have a dedicated Director of Children’s Services. so I guess T&W don’t have much say in the matter if it becomes mandatory.
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Yeahaa! Labour’s back for less than a week and it is officer’s pay, err play time!
Six figure salaries? Kerchinggg! That’ll od nicely!
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Read it properly Matt, its a report commisioned by the government, NOT Labour in T&W
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Some people!!
This has come out of a UK review which says that every council needs a person looking after children services.
I wonder how many of these comments would be made if we had a baby P in Telford and Wrekin… because the person who should be looking after kids is also in charge of the rest of the council agenda…
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I think that the point people are making isn’t, do we need a head of childrens services. more like do we need a £108,000 pa head of childrens services.
Labour have been back in charge for 5 mins and gone straight for the cheque book……again
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i reckon for councils there is an incentive to get it mucked up because then central government comes in like the cavalry bails out the department pays for consultants to support it and pays for extra staff etc, this is what birmingham and haringey did, so the sad moral is for councils, do well and get nothing, fail and get it sorted out for you…
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Does Telford Council actually know what it’s doing. They had a Director of Childrens Services not so long ago, spent thousands deciding that they didn’t need one, only to find out that they do, doh!! Perhaps the Assistant Chief Executive’s salary could be better spent on this apparently necesary role instead of holding the Chief Exec’s hand as it doesnt look like either of them are doing a particularly good job!
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They must have someone in charge of childrens services currently, so why waste an obscene amount of tax/rate payers hard earned money on a figure head? this money might employ four front line workers, and not a pen pusher, too many of them in all the agencys today.
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Can perhaps understand the need for the post, but dont understand the need for such a high salary
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Martin, maybe they do need a “dedicated Director of Children’s Services” but if they seem to be coping OK without one, is it such an important job that it needs such a ridiculous salary?
Couldn’t they promote someone already in that line of service (who is obviously already helping do the job) and give them a sensible, (as in real life not council type) raise?
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