This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-36366411
The article has changed 8 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Birmingham City Council's children's services to be run by a trust | Birmingham City Council's children's services to be run by a trust |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Birmingham's children's services will be run by a trust after years of failings which saw the department named "a national disgrace" by inspectors. | |
| Ofsted has rated the service "inadequate" since 2009 and improvement has "not gone far enough, fast enough", the Department for Education has said. | |
| Child deaths include Khyra Ishaq, seven, who starved and Keanu Williams, two, who was murdered by his mother. | Child deaths include Khyra Ishaq, seven, who starved and Keanu Williams, two, who was murdered by his mother. |
| The council said the voluntary decision will be finalised by the cabinet. | The council said the voluntary decision will be finalised by the cabinet. |
| Latest reaction and updates | |
| Birmingham children's services: A timeline of the problems | Birmingham children's services: A timeline of the problems |
| An authority spokesman said: "This is something we have been discussing for some time with the Department for Education (DfE) and this is the next logical step on our improvement journey." | An authority spokesman said: "This is something we have been discussing for some time with the Department for Education (DfE) and this is the next logical step on our improvement journey." |
| 'Significant improvements' | 'Significant improvements' |
| He said the council would work with partners on how the trust will operate but the authority wanted to keep control of the design and delivery of services. | |
| The government appointed Lord Warner as an external commissioner to oversee the running of children's services in the city in March 2014. | The government appointed Lord Warner as an external commissioner to oversee the running of children's services in the city in March 2014. |
| Since then, he found there had been "significant improvements" but more was needed. | Since then, he found there had been "significant improvements" but more was needed. |
| Andrew Christie from Westminster City Council replaced Lord Warner in December 2015 to continue a three-year review of the department. | Andrew Christie from Westminster City Council replaced Lord Warner in December 2015 to continue a three-year review of the department. |
| Alison Holt, BBC social affairs correspondent | |
| The plans are at an early stage - and council officials intend to keep some control. | |
| Birmingham has been in special measures for a number of years, with a former government minister, Lord Warner, appointed as commissioner in 2014. | |
| Similar children's trusts have been established to run services in places where there have been problems such as Doncaster and Slough. | |
| They often rely on groups of experts, charities and high-performing local authorities to provide support. | |
| Experts believe the size of Birmingham - which is England's biggest local authority - makes it particularly difficult to bring about change. | |
| The announcement of the decision was brought forward because of a Channel 4 Dispatches programme to be broadcast this week. |