The Leader of Devon County Council has slammed Exeter’s Labour MP Steve Race over comments he made in the House of Commons today [Thursday] around the provision of children’s service in the county.
In a question to Government minister Alison McGovern on proposals for Local Government Reorganisation, the Exeter MP claimed “children’s services in Devon have been failing for many, many years” and “should reorganisation happen in Devon, as I hope it does, it will be up to those authorities to make sure that services are safely and effectively moved to new structures.”
Councillor Julian Brazil, Leader of Devon County Council, responded: “Steve Race is living in the past, and is clearly not aware of the Government’s latest independent review of children’s services in the county, which praised improvements made in recent years.
“Indeed, the same report warned against the breaking up of children’s services as part of the Local Government Reorganisation as it would hold back further improvement.
“While we are focused on taking care of Devon’s children, Mr Race is attempting to score party political points and wants to drive through proposals that would result in a catastrophe for Devon’s children and many other critical services. Quite clearly, he has not read the report from the Minister’s own commissioner that shows the one thing that is certain to damage children’s service in Devon is the very proposal for the county that he is supporting.
“The people of Devon should not take advice from an MP who is acting in the interest of this failing Government and not in the interest of his own constituents.”
In December last year, Devon’s Children’s commissioner acknowledged significant improvement at the County Council and warned against the risk of breaking up the service as part of local government reorganisation.
The report from the Department for Education’s Commissioner, Nigel Richardson CBE, recognises significant progress in improving services for children and families, while acknowledging that further work is needed.
The Commissioner concluded that Devon now has the capacity and capability to improve itself, and recommended that operational control of services should remain with the council rather than be transferred to a trust.
The county’s Local Government Reorganisation proposal to the Government is the only one that keeps children’s services together.
The Commissioner’s report concluded: “Anything that breaks that model would risk stopping the existing work in its tracks with an even bigger risk that things would quickly slip backwards.”
Devon County Council also received glowing feedback from Ofsted inspectors last December. The county was praised significant progress in services for care leavers following their latest inspection.
In a letter to the council, Ofsted inspectors highlighted “greater clarity,” “greater effort,” and “a more consistent service.”
It found that the Council’s political, corporate and operational leaders are “overseeing a much-needed programme of improvements across children’s services.”
Is his question to the minister in Parliament, Mr Race added: “I welcome the Government’s move to reorganisation, which will benefit cities such as Exeter.
“Should reorganisation happen in Devon – I hope that it will – will it not be up to authorities to ensure that services are safely and effectively moved to new structures?”
However, another Devon MP also criticised the government process.
Rebecca Smith, the MP for South West Devon, said: “The local government reorganisation consultation for Devon closes today. It has had many responses that have all been completed in good faith.
“Can the Minister reassure Devonians that responses to the consultation will be digested and taken fully into account, especially in the light of the strength of feeling against the plans put forward by the Labour-controlled cities in Devon to expand into Devon’s beautiful green belt, which is surely a land grab to deliver the Labour Government’s housing targets?”
Yesterday, Local Government Minister Steve Reed announced council reorganisation plans affecting Essex, Hampshire, Norfolk and Suffolk. Essex County Council has already stated it is considering legal action against the proposals.
The proposals will see county-wide social care services currently run by nine councils split between 16 new unitary authorities.
The Government’s decision on local Government Reorganisation affecting Devon, Torbay and Plymouth is expected this summer.
Devon County Council is proposing a county-wide authority, with Torbay and Plymouth unitary councils remaining in place. It would be swift to implement, resilient to financial shocks and have the scale to improve vital front-line services.
Other options being considered are proposals which would see smaller, less resilient councils created across the county, which would not be financially viable.
Mr Brazil said he feared yesterday decisions indicates that the Government is not putting the futures of the country’s most vulnerable communities as its first priority.
A consultation into the proposed changes to local Government in Devon ends at 11.59pm tonight (March 26) night. For information on all proposals and to submit a response visit: Devon LGR.