Buckinghamshire County Council's children's services was rated as "inadequate" overall by Ofsted in 2014 and again in January this year following a re-inspection in which the council's attempts to improve the service were described as "piecemeal".
Despite the criticism the Department for Education has said that the council should retain control, with support from Hampshire County Council, whose chief executive John Coughlan was appointed commissioner for Buckinghamshire's children's services in March this year.
In a direction notice issued to the council the DfE says it backs Coughlan's conclusion last month that there was no need for the department to be taken over by an alternative provider, such as an independent trust.
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