SOMERSET County Council has announced it has terminated its contract for the services of interim director of children’s services Peter Lewis.

A spokesman said it follows a series of disappointing reports into some of the council’s children’s homes and children’s centres.

Mr Lewis will leave the authority immediately. As he is not an employee of the Council, there will be no pay-off and no pension payments.

The announcement came this afternoon (Friday, October 17) from chief executive Pat Flaherty.

He said: “I came into my post six months ago, and I gave Peter and his team time to prove themselves to me. It is hugely disappointing that results have not matched expectations.”

Mr Lewis was taken on by the council 18 months ago, in part because of his national recognition as a leader in this industry.

Mr Flaherty added: “We have put in extra budgets and extra staff including more children’s social workers,” Mr Flaherty said. “This has brought improvements which the Government has recognised but sadly not at the level or speeds anticipated and the current situation with our children’s homes and children’s centres is just not good enough.”

The high level departure comes just weeks after the council announced it was closing down two of its children’s homes due to failings in the standards of care provided, poor management and safeguarding issues.

Preliminary findings of a recent Ofsted inspection of children’s centres in Taunton are also likely to result in a further ‘inadequate’ rating.

Mr Flaherty said: “When you make this much investment into children’s services, you expect results to match.

“Although we have seen improvement in some areas, it is too little and too slow.

“With the recent findings around children’s homes and children’s centres, I believe now is the time to be decisive, move forward and give fresh impetus to improvements to the support we give to vulnerable children.”

The council is currently advertising for a permanent position of director of children’s services.

In the meantime the role will be held on a temporary basis by the chief executive.

Independent councilllor Mike Rigby said: "That Peter Lewis’s contract has been terminated does not come as a surpise to me.

"Despite his vast pay, I could not see the improvements that were promised in children’s services.

"There was the whiff  of the ‘Emperor’s New Clothes’ about him.

"It calls into question the recruitmrent process that led to his employment in the first place.

"I also think it raises questions about staffing in children’s services and all the vacancies that exist.

"If it’s acceptable to massively increase the director’s salary (remember he was costing the council £318,500pa) do we not also need to review the salaries of the dozens of vacant posts in order to make them attractive to applicants?”

Dave Orr, who has criticsed Mr Lewis's pay arrangements with the council, is to put the following statement to next week's full council meeting: "I support the recruitment of a permanent director for children’s services and the necessity to offer a salary up to £130,000 per year that will hopefully attract a good field of candidates.

"Peter Lewis has been acting as the interim director of children’s services at a cost of £318,500 per year – said to be one of the most expensive council officers in England.

"His deputy has been reported as costing £275,000 per year.

"In the 18 months that Peter Lewis and his Deputy were engaged by the council, the cost to Somerset taxpayers has been almost £1million.

"It is puzzling that no part of these huge pay-outs depends upon performance - for a better OFSTED rating for our vital children’s services.

"The risk of spending £1m and still being rated "Inadequate" by OfSTED clearly remains with the taxpayer, rather than being transferred in part to Peter Lewis and his Deputy, through payments by results.

"Whilst the Pay Policy Statement before you has Tax Avoidance as a principle, it does not address what Eric Pickles, the Secretary of State for Local Government, referred to as an "abuse of process", with regard to payments made "off payroll" through personal service companies - thereby allowing potential tax avoidance.

"SCC stated at the HR Policy Committee that they are in line with Government policy regarding "off payroll" employment via a personal service company.

"This is disingenuous, as the Government only allows "off payroll" engagement for a maximum period of six months and then insists that Interim staff go "on payroll" and pay all taxes and National Insurance at source.

"Peter Lewis has been paid 'off payroll' via a personal service company for 18 months.

"I call upon Full Council to move an amendment to the Pay Policy Statement that limits "off payroll" engagement for Interim staff to 6 months and thereafter to ensure that all taxes and National Insurance are deducted at source.

"That is fair to all Somerset taxpayers, service users and Council staff who pay proper taxes and National Insurance."