Sandwell seeks children's social care partner

The local authority is advertising for a partner or organisation to supply an interim Director of Children's Services (DCS) and a package of support to help improve the Service.

The contract could last for up to three years and is part of the council's continuing drive to build on an improved Ofsted rating for children's safeguarding earlier this year.

Sandwell Council chief executive Jan Britton said: "Our ambition is to provide the best possible outcomes for children. 

"We have turned a corner and the improving status of our Children's Services has been recognised in the recent Ofsted inspection.

"This new contract is the next step to give us the extra boost we need to reach our goal.

"We are looking for a partner or group of partners to work with staff at all levels and our partners in the public, private and charitable sectors to help drive and sustain improvements.

"The contract will bring a wider package of experience and expertise to bear than we could by simply recruiting a new Director of Children's Services as a council employee.

"It will also give us an injection of pace at a time of tougher Ofsted inspections and a competitive job market for a DCS.

"We will constantly review the contact and decide on the best way forward when it finishes."

The contract is likely to start by the end of the year.

It will largely be paid for by savings in top management costs at the council.

The advert is due to appear in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU), where all public sector tenders above a certain value must be published.

Details of the tender are available on our website.

Sandwell's current DCS, Barbara Peacock, is leaving to take a job with another local authority.