BBC News Birmingham and the Black Country, 31 July 2012

The head of children’s services in Walsall will leave the post after a report found vulnerable children were being “left at potential risk of harm”.

Ofsted inspectors visiting the area in June rated safeguarding services as inadequate, the lowest of four ratings.

Social worker assessments and performance management were most severely criticised.

The council said Pauline Pilkington will leave in autumn after overseeing the first phase of improvements.

Mrs Pilkington has a 30-year career in the field and was awarded an MBE for services to local government in 2009.

Councillor Rachel Andrew said: “It will be important to ensure that we have the right people in the right place to drive forward our improvement plan and the council will be looking at this in due course.

“The executive director of children’s services has decided to leave the authority once the first phase of the improvement plan is over and the council has identified a successor.”

‘Too variable’

The council said it was already taking action to improve standards after the “rigorous” two-week inspection.

Ms Andrew said: “Our children and young people deserve better and residents can be assured that the council – and its partners who are involved in safeguarding in Walsall – are conducting a root and branch review of our policies, processes and services and are determined to improve those found wanting by inspectors.”

She added that the council felt it had been judged by a “tougher than ever set of criteria”.

Ofsted said it was concerned that the “current safeguarding practice and management systems do not consistently ensure that the most vulnerable children in Walsall are effectively safeguarded or protected”.