Both Birmingham and Bedfordshire councils have had positive interiminspection reports since the ratings were last published in November2004.
Their success will be closely examined for tips on how to turn failingservices around since both councils have been at the bottom of socialcare league tables for the last three years.
"The issue is how you change problems that have been going on for a longtime," said David Behan, chief inspector at the Commission for SocialCare Inspection, recently.
Malcolm Newsam, strategic director of social services at Bedfordshire,told Children Now that inspectors had described their new commissioningarrangements as "leading edge".
The situation in Swindon, another zero-rated council, looks lesspromising. Experts from the three-star Kent County Council were broughtin to help turn the situation around. But at Swindon's last councilcabinet meeting a row broke out over the Commission for Social CareInspection's decision to label the council's prospects for improving as"uncertain" in a follow-up inspection of child protection services inthe summer. Councillor Garry Perkins (Conservative), cabinet member forchildren's services, told Children Now the council felt the commission'sview was "not exact".
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