High-performing councils explore alternative delivery models for children's services

A report published by Birmingham Council, which is planning to establish an independent trust to deliver children's services, reveals that a number of councils with "good" ratings are now considering fundamental changes to delivery structures.

It names Lincolnshire County Council, which in January this year was given an overall "good" rating, as one of the councils mulling the idea.

"In recent months a growing number of councils with good ratings have begun to think through whether trust models would offer business and strategic advantage," the report states.

The report adds that the word "trust" is used in a broad sense to include a wide range of other delivery models. It gives the example of Doncaster and Slough, which have established independent trusts, as well as well as Hampshire, which has taken over the Isle of Wight's "inadequate" rated service for five years, and Trafford Council, which has agreed a deal for a local NHS trust to take on responsibility for children's services.

Out of local authorities that have resorted to alternative delivery models so far, the majority had been judged by Ofsted to be failing to meet required standards.

Lincolnshire County Council told CYP Now that the authority has been asked to explore possible future models for how children's services might look as part of its Partners in Practice role, an initiative established by the government designed so that local authorities can learn from the best.

The report by Birmingham states that the fact that there are now independent trusts in existence should make the transfer process simpler.

"There are now councils that have completed the process of moving services into trust arrangements and some of the legal complexity has therefore been reduced by these precedents," it states.