FAITH has been put in the council to look after children’s education in the area – just two years after children’s services as a whole was removed from its control due to failings.

The government has allowed Slough Borough Council (SBC) to bring children’s education and children’s centres back in house to “reflect increased ministerial confidence in the improved working relationship between the council and Slough Children’s Services Trust (SCST)”.

The service has been managed by Cambridge Education since 2013 and that £12m-per-year deal expires on Friday.

The Department for Education was due to transfer this service to SCST, which currently looks after children’s services as a whole, on October 1, but the DfE has revoked that decision and now the council will take control.

Although Cambridge taking over children’s education in 2013 was SBC’s choice – kicking in before SBC lost children’s services to SCST in 2014 – the latest move is still being seen as a vote of confidence for the council.

Councillor Sabia Hussain, deputy leader and commissioner for education and children’s services, said: “We are completely ready for it. Everyone has been working over the last year to hand it over, and now it is about how quickly we can come on board and implement the changes.

“It is a very proud moment. As a lead member, it is not something I walked into knowing the magnitude of the problem, but we are on a different footing now.

“We know that we failed (children’s services) and it was on our watch and we have to be the catalyst for change. We have got a strategy and people with know-how to make the changes needed.

“It is a fantastic step. The opportunity here is great as at the end of it, hopefully we have less people coming into the system and more families that are successful.”

Ofsted rated Slough’s children’s centres, of which there are 10, “inadequate” after an inspection in March 2014; that rating was improved to “requires improvement” in March 2015, both under Cambridge Education control.

The contract with Cambridge Education has been extended on a short term basis until December 1 to ensure a “smooth transition” and SCST will continue to work with Cambridge Education in other capacities.

Nicola Clemo, CEO of SCST, said: “Throughout this process the trust has been impressed by the dedication and commitment of the staff and teams that we have met at Cambridge Education. We look forward to a continued collaboration with them to ensure that the lives of the children and families in Slough are safe, secure and successful.”

Support services to schools will come under council control on October 1, with children’s centres and early years services from November 1.

Integrated support services, including the specialist special educational needs (SEN) teaching service, will be transferred to the council on December 1.

The council and SCST will be working together to reduce the gap in attainment levels between different groups, as well as supporting vulnerable children and their families and promoting a strong working partnership.