Opposition leaders in Sefton have spoken of their concerns over the future of the borough’s troubled children’s services after the “sudden” and “surprising” resignation of the head of the service a year after being appointed.
Yesterday, Sefton Council announced the impending departure of director of children’s services Martin Birch, who had been appointed in January 2022. He took up his post in April tasked with transforming the service after a dire Ofsted inspection result.
The council said Mr Birch’s departure had come for “personal reasons” and was “not at the council’s request” with the outgoing head due to take up a post instead at Cumberland Council.
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Mr Birch is set to leave in April with the current assistant director of health and protection, Risthardh Hare to be appointed as interim director of children’s services while a recruitment process to replace him gets underway.
Following the announcement, the opposition leader and Sefton liberal democrat leader Cllr John Pugh told the LDRS that families deserved a “candid explanation” about the “surprising” announcement.
Cllr Pugh said: “I was on the panel that appointed Martin Birch and had great expectations of him and what he could offer Sefton. The perspective he brought from outside and the energy and commitment he displayed gave one hope that the problems that have dogged Children's Services in Sefton could be conquered.
“His sudden resignation so soon into the role and the surprising nature of it makes me genuinely fearful and anxious for the families that depend on Sefton getting these critical services right. I feel the community and the families are entitled to a candid explanation of what exactly has gone on.”
The leader of Sefton Conservatives, Cllr Mike Prendergast called the departure a “huge blow” for the service.
Cllr Prendergast said: “The announcement that the Director of Children’s Services is resigning is a huge blow to a department that is still on a long improvement journey. This comes not long after the Chief Executive of Sefton Council announced he was standing down too.
“If Children’s Services are to improve in Sefton, following the damning OFSTED report last year and the appointment of a central government commissioner, then we need continuity of management and a clarity in the direction the department is heading.”
He added he was concerned at what impact this could have on the council’s plans to transform the service, which had been slammed by Ofsted for failing the borough’s most vulnerable children. Following the inspection, the service was placed into special measures with a commissioner later appointed to oversee the changes being implemented as part of an improvement plan.
Cllr Prendergast said: “I welcome the fact we now have an improvement plan in place, but without consistency in leadership it is difficult to see how Sefton Council can deliver on this. We’ve seen nearby that other local councils can deliver a good service, with Lancashire County Council recently being given a good rating by OFSTED. Leadership and management matter a great deal.
“It’s taken the current administration over 10 years to get the service into the state we are now in and a large part of that is down to management and leadership culture.
“I hope we can move quickly to get the right person in the job for the longer term to ensure that Sefton’s children have the services they deserve.”
Sefton’s Labour leader and leader of the council Ian Maher was also approached for comment.
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