Written question asked by Chris McCafferty (Labour) on Friday, 26 February 2010, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 3 March 2010. It was answered by Baroness Primarolo (Labour) on Tuesday, 6 April 2010 on behalf of the Department for Children, Schools and Families.

Children: Social Services

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what recent assessment he has made of the standard of services for vulnerable children in Calderdale; and what steps his Department plans to take to ensure the protection of children.

Answer: [holding answer 3 March 2010]: Ofsted published a report of an inspection of safeguarding and looked after children's services on 26 February which judged Calderdale metropolitan borough council's safeguarding services to be "inadequate". After meeting with representatives of the council I have decided that the council should be issued with an improvement notice; that an external chair should be appointed to the Improvement Board established by the council; and, to offer some additional support to ensure that these services improve quickly and sustainably.

Secondary information