One of Elaine Simpson's proudest moments was receiving a bunch of flowers from the educational welfare team at Walsall Council.
As head of education and children's services at Serco, the private firm brought in to run the council's schools, she admits the gesture took her by surprise.
"It was the card that really made me feel proud. It said, 'Thanks for giving us back our professional pride'," she reveals.
But while this show of affection for a private provider may seem unusual, it gives a good indication of just how dire the situation was prior to Serco's appointment to run education services in the West Midlands borough in 2001.
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