Clause 14 - Director of children's services
Children Bill [Lords]
4:00 pm
Mr Hilton Dawson (Lancaster and Wyre, Labour)
I want to speak to amendments Nos. 67 and 68. We are embarking on a process of massive cultural change. We are looking to local authorities to transform children's lives by centring their services on children's needs; listening to children effectively; building their services around children and families; breaking down the barriers between organisations, institutions and professions; and developing a common core of practice with children. I simply do not believe that someone who takes on the responsibilities of a director of children's services can be expected to
have any other role. I would distrust the motives of some colleagues in local government who would want to urge that on my right hon. Friend.
I have great respect for local authorities—I worked for one for 15 years and was a councillor in another for 10—but they can be part of the problem, and part of the past from which we want to move; they can be one of the major institutions that we want to change. I do not see how they can expect someone who has other responsibilities to do the job properly. I would prefer local authorities that sought to appoint a director of children's services to take on other aspects of the work, and would question both the seriousness with which they approach the task and the degree to which they actually want to change.
I was with colleagues one night last week when we met representatives of primary care trusts, which we would all acknowledge as key players. We talked to chief executives and chairs of primary care trusts, some of whom had been involved in the children's trust pilot. I ended up defending local education authorities, which was quite an unusual position for me. The distrust and scepticism, nay cynicism, around the table that those key partners—experienced, professional people who want to do an excellent job for children—had about the role and culture of local education authorities was evident. Their suspicions about the possibility, nay probability, of children's services directors coming directly from local education authorities and bringing that cultural background into a service that needs to build participation and integration, centre it on children and families and perhaps move a long way from the goals and responsibilities that the typical LEA has had, was instructive.
I see no reason for subsections (5) and (6) and hope that they can be deleted.