Torbay children's services 'inadequate'

Torbay MP supports Plymouth's running of Bay's service

Torbay's MP says it's right that the area's children's services continue to be run by Plymouth City Council.

Kevin Foster is disappointed with the results of Ofsted's latest inspection, but says he understands and accepts its conclusions. Inspectors found that, for the third successive time, the way Torbay looks after children in the area - for example, in keeping youngsters safe, or proving foster of adoptive families - is inadequate. 

Torbay's children's services have been run by Plymouth since April, following inspectors' worries over a prolonged period. The latest report, which largely covers the period before Plymouth took over, shows that some improvements have been made; for example, adoption services went from inadequate to good - but in other areas, the council hasn't made big enough strides to put things right. This meant that the overall rating of 'inadequate' remained in place.

Mr Foster told Radio Exe: "Torbay is a small unitary council and that's seen it struggle to deliver this particular service. The long-standing problems weren't solved by it being a standalone service and the clear recommendation of the commissioners is that a joint service with Plymouth is right. Having met the person responsible for children's services in Plymouth, I'm convinced that giving her the support to get on with the job is more important than arguing about its structure."