No room for complacency for Surrey Children's Services

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Fri 15th May 2009

Last year, Conservative dreams of seeing Surrey declared an 'excellent' County Council were shattered by Ofsted's shocking findings in the Joint Area Review. Vulnerable children were not safe in Surrey. By the Autumn the Secretary of State had given Surrey notice that it must carry out a demanding two-year improvement programme, meeting a rigorous series of targets, or risk having its services taken over.

The first six-month milestone of the improvement programme came at the end of March 2009. The requirements were tough, and two out of 15 were not met - including an assessment of all children's social work staff, which so far has brought to light 76 out of 358 social workers where there is concern about performance.

In the next six months staff will face yet another re-organisation, under a new senior management team that has only just arrived at County Hall. It's hardly surprising that they are reported to be demoralized, and there have been strike threats.

Hinchley Wood, Claygate and Oxshott County Council Candidate, Anthony Sheppard, said "In spite of the Council's press release and the Tory Leader's confidence we are not there yet. There is no room for complacency. It worries me that Surrey County Council still insists on describing itself as 'outstanding'."