The proposals were recommended by an independent review panel as the only way of making a "decisive break" from serious child protection failings at the department dating back to 2009, when it was placed under government supervision.
The panel's report says: "A culture of failure and disillusion pervades the service and that serves to obstruct every attempt at reform. There needs to be a line drawn under the historic failure, a separation that permits the development of a new culture."
Education Secretary Michael Gove signalled his intention to push ahead with the review panel's recommendations in a letter to Doncaster mayor Ros Jones published by the Department for Education today. In it he says: "I agree with the recommendations and will now seek to put them into effect".
Gove said that the independent trust should be in place to take over children's social care by April 2014. Legal orders will be placed that will transfer powers from the council to the trust for a period of up to ten years, with a review after five years.
"When improvements to the service are secure and confidence in Doncaster Council's ability to deliver children's social care functions is gained, those services should return to council control," Gove adds.
A commissioner of children's social care should also be appointed to implement the review panel's recommendations. Gove backs the panel's suggestion that Alan Wood, director of children's services in Hackney and one of the report authors, take on this role.
Education services will not be part of the transfer.
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