Children’s services in Northamptonshire are due to be handed over to an independent trust in July as part of efforts to improve standards. But a report by two commissioners overseeing the process warns that the deadline may be too soon.
The progress report states that the fact that the new children's trust will provide services for two new local authority areas - Northamptonshie County Council is due to be axed with services reorganised from April 2021 into two unitary authorities, North Northamptonshire and West Northamptonshire - further complicates the situation.
"These two authorities will be in ‘shadow’ form from May this year and it is of paramount importance that the leadership team of the trust manages this complexity carefully to ensure it services both authorities effectively," the progress report by Andrew Christie and Clare Chamberlain, who jointly replaced former commissioner Malcolm Newsam after he quit the role last year, states.
"Given the scale of preparation work still to be done, we have concerns that a July deadline may not provide enough time for the necessary actions to have happened for the safe and effective set-up of the trust."
The report adds that the pair have raised their concerns over the timescale with central government.
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