A NEW external company will take charge of children's services after the council failed to make improvements in the eyes of the education watchdog.

Brighter Futures for Children has been selected to improve provision for vulnerable children after Reading Borough Council received a series of damning reports from Ofsted.

The department was placed into special measures in 2016 after inspectors found a string of failings relating to the way it looks after vulnerable children.

Despite making small steps towards amending its struggles, the council continues to let young people down, Ofsted claims.

The new provider has signed a memorandum of understanding and a grant of £2.9m has been granted by the Secretary of State to help the partnership.

Jo Lovelock, leader of Reading Borough Council, said: “It is exciting that good progress is being made in setting up the new children’s company, which will provide children’s social care, early help, education and health services in Reading.

“The creation of Brighter Futures for Children will allow a fundamental change in the way children’s services are delivered in Reading and will build on the tremendous amount of hard work that has already gone into driving the service forward.”

The council continued to struggle with the workload of bring children’s services up to scratch after three senior managers walked out.

Recruitment and the high cost of living were both cited as key challenges for the council to overcome, with dozens of children still waiting to be allocated with a social worker.

The council supported the recommendation to establish a company to deliver children’s social care, early help, education and health services after receiving criticism from Ofsted.

Deborah Jenkins MBE, chair of Brighter Futures for Children, added: “My experience has shown that the independence created by having the new company has brought a real chance to do things with a fresh approach and to be different to what has gone before.

“I am looking forward to meeting children, staff and partners to understand what is working and what needs to change. If we can listen to each other, share ideas and work together, I have every confidence that we can use this once in a generation chance to improve life chances for children.”