Youth services are 'inadequate'

The county council said it would act on the findings

Youth services across Bedfordshire have been heavily criticised in a report by education watchdog Ofsted.

Inspectors found that the county's Youth Service was inadequate in all of its key measures.

The report said the standard and quality of young people's achievement was inadequate, as was the quality of the curriculum and the management.

Beds County Council said its education department would act on the findings of the report.

We accept we have to improve and we're determined to do this David Doran, the council's strategic director of education

David Doran, the council's strategic director of education, said: "What we have got to do is use the report as a clear indication of how we need to move forward.

"We accept we have to improve and we're determined to do this."

The Ofsted report says its key findings about Bedfordshire Youth Services are:

Participation in youth work is low

Youth workers expect too little of young people

Expenditure on the youth service is low and resources are deployed inefficiently

The service is insufficiently clear of what it wishes to achieve

The report adds that the "inefficient deployment of resources currently provides unsatisfactory value for money".

The report does however say that youth workers develop "positive relationships with young people and understand their needs".

In November last year it was revealed that social services in Bedfordshire had been zero-rated after investigations by the Commission for Social Care Inspection.

The commission told the council it was not serving children well.

Councils in the zero-star bracket are subject to monthly inspections from the commission, which can then recommend further action to ministers.