Rotherham MP 'torn' over DCS departure

Rotherham Labour MP Sarah Champion told CYP Now that Thacker had made a number of improvements to the department since her appointment as DCS in 2008, but that these were too slow.

Thacker resigned from the role in mid-September after MPs and campaigners called for her to quit in the wake of the publication of an independent inquiry report that estimated at least 1,400 children had been sexually exploited in Rotherham between 1997 and 2013.

The report was highly critical of the handling of CSE by Rotherham Council and South Yorkshire Police, but Champion said she felt “torn” about Thacker’s resignation because of the progress she had made in other areas.

“It happened on her watch so she should be held accountable," said Champion. "But I know that since getting appointed she made a lot of changes – 48 per cent of her staff she got rid of because they weren’t up to the job.

“I think she was aware of the problems and was making changes but they were too slow.”

Champion said that the “tipping point” was when it became clear that the slow pace of service improvements caused families to lose faith in Thacker.

Champion’s comments add weight to evidence Thacker gave to the home affairs committee in September.

She told the committee that she had worked hard to raise the issue of CSE but the council or police had taken no action.

However, Keith Vaz, chair of the committee, rejected her evidence and called on her to step down.

Thacker’s resignation followed those of South Yorkshire police and crime commissioner Shaun Wright and council chief executive Martin Kimber, both of who Champion said were "right to step down".

Ian Thomas, currently Derbyshire DCS, is to take over children’s services at Rotherham in January.

A damning Ofsted report, published last week, rated the troubled department “inadequate” after inspectors found a string of child protection management and practice failings.