Brokenshire “minded to” end government intervention at Rotherham

The government is set to end its intervention into Rotherham Council three years after calling in inspectors over serious systemic failures at the local authority, the Communities Secretary has announced.

The intervention was triggered after reports by Professor Alexis Jay in 2014 and Louise Casey in 2015 over Rotherham’s failures to protect vulnerable children from sexual exploitation.

In a written ministerial statement James Brokenshire said he was minded to return control of all services to the metropolitan borough council, including children’s social care, and withdraw all three commissioners.

He added that this was on the condition the council receives an independent review before 31 March 2019. "This will enable a last check of the Council’s performance once the Commissioners have left."

The Community Secretary’s decision follows the gradual return of selected functions to the council on four separate occasions since the intervention began in February 2015.

Brokenshire said: “Vulnerable young people were repeatedly failed in Rotherham, which is why the government stepped in to ensure these errors can never occur again.

“The council has made strong progress and, having carefully considered evidence provided by our commissioners, I am minded to return all powers.

“This is not a decision I take lightly, but I am assured the council has turned itself around and is now providing the services that its residents deserve and expect.”

The minister said the government was continuing to work with Rotherham and the South Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner to secure funding for victims identified through the National Crime Agency’s Operation Stovewood and would do so for as long as the need is there.

The council will now have a period of four weeks to make representations on the proposals before the Secretary of State makes a final decision. Rotherham’s MPs have backed the ending of the intervention.

Cllr Chris Read, Leader of Rotherham, said: “[This] announcement is a reflection of more than three years of hard work by lots of people – our staff, Commissioners and councillors – who were all united in determination that the people of Rotherham should be better served than they had been in the past.

“The council today is a very different organisation to the one I became leader of in 2015. It is more open to challenge, more focussed on priorities, more disciplined in delivery of services. Critically that means that the way we respond to the needs of our most vulnerable children and families has been transformed. It also means that whilst we are proud of the progress we’ve made, we will not lose sight of the challenges ahead and the continuing need to change and improve over the coming years.”

Lead Commissioner Mary Ney added: “Commissioners have seen significant improvements in Rotherham Council due to the hard work and commitment of councillors and staff. We are confident that the leadership of the council is strong and that Rotherham Council will continue to improve.”