Shake-up for social services

The report says services to children in Bedfordshire need improvement

An action team is being sent into Bedfordshire's social services department after a "hard-hitting report" said it was providing inadequate protection for children.

The department was rated among the worst in England after being awarded zero stars by government inspectors in 2002 and 2003.

Now a review by the Social Services Inspectorate has said that "despite considerable effort and activity very little progress has been made, and the systems in place are inadequate to protect children or promote their interests".

The inspectors criticised management in the social services department for failures in training, recruitment and retention.

The Department of Health will fund the performance action team from Price Waterhouse Coopers for six months.

The team will work with Bedfordshire County Council's social services to improve the management and training of staff.

Bedfordshire social services' newly appointed director, Malcolm Newsam, said: "This report is hard-hitting but fair.

"It has been done in an encouraging style, and when the team comes back in October of this year, I am confident we will be able to report significant progress."