Three Conservative-controlled councils in London are forging ahead with merging their children's services departments.
Westminster, Hammersmith and Fulham, and Kensington and Chelsea intend to appoint a single director of children's services and management team to oversee their children and education departments by March 2012.
The councils will merge their adoption and fostering services, which will include having a single point of referral to social services. The boroughs will also merge their safeguarding children's boards. However, safeguarding teams will still be based in their local areas.
The councils estimate that combining their children's services departments will save £9.5m by 2014/2015.
Councillor Sir Merrick Cockell, leader of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, said: "Combining services will increase our ability to respond and engage on local issues and ensure a greater share of resources go to the frontline."
