Row after children's services commissioner resigns

A woman who stepped down from her role of overseeing improvements at Herefordshire's children's services "failed to engage meaningfully with parents", campaigners have said.

In a string of accusations after her departure, Herefordshire group Families Alliance for Change (FAC) criticised Eleanor Brazil's reports and targets and "unsafe" services.

Ms Brazil had been appointed Herefordshire's children's commissioner in 2022 after Ofsted rated the county's children's services department inadequate.

Both the BBC and the Local Democracy Reporting Service have approached Ms Brazil for comment.

Herefordshire Council has also been approached but has not yet commented.

In a statement, campaigners said: "Eleanor Brazil failed to engage meaningfully with parents with poor experiences of children's services."

The group claimed her reports had "lacked analysis of the real risks in the system" and she "repeatedly set vague targets and spared the leadership of Herefordshire Council from any serious criticism".

Campaigners claimed "the service continues to be unsafe and lacking in self-awareness" and said people who raised complaints were "still silenced and harassed".

Ms Brazil, who had been appointed by the government, published her last report in December, when she said there had been "some positive progress from a very low base, although too little".

However, she felt there was now "positive commitment within the political and corporate leadership to delivering better outcomes", and she said there was no longer a need for both commissioner and improvement advisor roles.

Following her report, council chief executive Paul Walker said it was "a positive sign" of progress.

After Ms Brazil's resignation was confirmed, a Herefordshire Council spokeswoman said: "In her most recent review, Eleanor Brazil made a recommendation to the Department for Education (DfE) that Herefordshire children's services no longer requires the direction of a DfE advisor in addition to a commissioner.

"Herefordshire's children's services improvement programme is now overseen by the DfE-appointed commissioner, Deborah McMillan, who has replaced Ms Brazil."

Follow BBC Hereford & Worcester on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.