DfE orders reviews at two councils rated 'inadequate' by Ofsted

The reviews of children's services at Norfolk County Council and Sandwell Council, will decide whether the local authorities have the ability to turnaround services themselves or if alternative arrangements are necessary.

Dave Hill, director of children's services at Essex County Council, will conduct the review in Norfolk and has been appointed as commissioner of children's services at the authority.

Eleanor Brazil, who was previously interim director of children's services at Doncaster Council in the run-up to children's services being transferred to an independent trust, has been appointed commissioner in Sandwell.

The move comes just weeks after Prime Minister David Cameron stated that children's services departments judged "inadequate" by Ofsted will have an independent commissioner appointed if they fail to improve within six months.

A direction notice for Norfolk, which in October was rated inadequate for the second time in two years, states that Hill will conduct a review of children’s social care in Norfolk that will assess the most effective way of securing improvement.

The notice for Sandwell, which was rated inadequate for the second time in two years last June, states that Brazil will conduct a review that will decide whether to remove the control of the service from the local authority for "a period of time".

Under plans set out by government last month, should it be decided that responsibility for children’s social care services should be removed from Norfolk and Sandwell, it could be handed to “high performing local authorities, experts and charities” to run under the trust model already developed in Doncaster and Slough, with Sunderland due to follow.

Hill's appointment as commissioner in Norfolk comes just months before he is set to become president of the Association of Directors of Children's Services.

Hill, who is currently vice president of the organisation, takes over from Alison O'Sullivan in April.