Department for Education looking into Northants children's trust chair as 'matter of urgency'

The Department for Education says it is looking into concerns about the chairman of Northamptonshire’s Children’s Trust ‘ as a matter of urgency’.

The Conservative cabinet at Northamptonshire County Council voiced their lack of faith in Ian Curryer on Tuesday (Sept 8), after it emerged that the Nottingham council he ran for five years has lost tens of millions due to poor management of its energy firm. The council also had a historic problem with sexual abuse of children in its care which was subject to an independent inquiry last year.

Cllr Jason Smithers said Ian Curryer – who was appointed by the secretary of state Gavin Williamson in January – was a risk to the children’s trust, which is being established on government orders after many years of problems in its children’s services department. The handover of the running of social services to the trust is due to take place on November 1.

The council’s cabinet resolved to write to the Northamptonshire Children’s Commissioner Andrew Christie to ask him to look into Ian Curryer’s position and in a statement today (Sept 10) the Department of Education said it has received a letter from NCC’s chief executive Theresa Grant.

The DfE said: “Our focus continues to be ensuring rapid improvement for the children and families of Northamptonshire by establishing a children’s trust to deliver improved services on behalf of the council.

“We are aware of the letter from the chief executive of Northamptonshire County Council regarding Northamptonshire Children’s Trust and are looking into this as a matter of urgency.”

Mr Curryer, who was chief executive at Nottingham City Council from 2013 and before that was director of children’s services, was appointed to the chair of the new trust, after an interview by a panel which included council leader Matt Golby and the children’s commissioner Andrew Christie.

Matt Golby told the Local Democracy Reporting Service he had tried to ‘due diligence’ before selecting Mr Curryer and had called the current Labour leader of Nottingahm City Council David Mellen, who did not say anything about the looming energy scandal.

Questions were also asked about Ian Curryer’s appointment back in February.

At a scrutiny meeting about the children’s trust Cllr Graham Lawman asked the children’s commissioner why he thought Ian Curryer had wanted the role.

He asked: “In your opinion what is that will entice the chief exec of a large council to come and be a chairman of a children’s trust in another area? Not to denigrate the person who I haven’t met.”

The children’s commissioner replied: “It is for the chair to account from himself as to why he has chosen to do what he has chosen to do. It is now in public domain he wants to step down.

As part of what he wants to do next he has applied for and went through an open recruitment process along with a number other strong candidates and was selected and I think we should be very pleased we have been able to attract somebody with that kind of background to the role. That background includes not only a background as a city council chief executive but also prior to that director of children’s services.

“I don’t think we should underestimate the opportunities that creates for us in Northamptonshire.”

When he was interviewed by the Local Democracy Reporting Service in December, after stepping into the shoes of the first children’s commissioner Malcolm Newsam, Andrew Christie said: “My first and most critical job is to get the trust right, with the correct chair and chief executive in place. Once we have a robust trust in place I would expect my role to diminish.”

The leader of Nottingham City Council Cllr David Mellen and the Children’s Commissioner have been contacted for a response.

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