Peter Lewis's acrimonious departure as interim director of children's services (DCS) at Somerset County Council leaves the authority searching for its sixth post-holder in as many years.
First appointed at the authority in April 2013, the scale of the challenge facing Lewis was soon highlighted by an Ofsted inspection that took place just two months later and found child protection arrangements to be "inadequate".
The authority was subsequently made subject to a government improvement notice in November that year. A progress report six months later, published in July, found that improvements had been made, but that there was "still much to do". The findings increased pressure on the council, particularly as it was reportedly costing it £320,000 a year in salary and agency fees to employ Lewis.
Register Now to Continue Reading
Thank you for visiting Children & Young People Now and making use of our archive of more than 60,000 expert features, topics hubs, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's Included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Email newsletter providing advice and guidance across the sector
Already have an account? Sign in here
