SAFEGUARDING children has been a priority for Cheshire West and Chester Council from the very start.
Borough leader Cllr Mike Jones (Con, Broxton) has disclosed that as long ago as last October, when chief executive Steve Robinson arrived from Stoke City Council: “I expressed to him a number of concerns that people had mentioned to me regarding children’s services, in addition to what I had seen”.
This led to an independent review of children's services, then the responsibility of the former county council, which held only an ‘adequate’ rating for the service.
“We were very concerned about what was validated and as a result we have taken a number of actions which include the appointment of a completely new management team, the last of whom finally joined us in June,” said Cllr Jones.
“We want to see exceptionally good performance in the safeguarding of our children.
“I am pleased to say we have some excellent staff from County Hall who, with significantly improved management, are really rising to the challenge and I am delighted about that.
“There are some really good people.
“All I want people to do is to put the child at the centre of their decision taking.
“Is what we are going to do right for the child?
“What do we need to do is to help that child mature into an individual who will actually take his or her place in society as a sensible young person.
“That is what the team is absolutely focussed on and John Stephens, director of children’s services, is an excellent part of that.”
The head of service for safeguarding children is Paul Boyce, from Halton.
“He helped to create a four- star safeguarding organisation and he is excellent,” said Cllr Jones.
