An expert has been drafted in to head up a team tasked with turning around ‘inadequate’ children’s services in Buckinghamshire.

The government has appointed former deputy chief inspector John Goldup has been appointed chair of Bucks Children's Improvement Board.

It comes after a series of recommendations made by Government consultants, who examined the county council’s plans for improvement following Ofsted's 'inadequate' rating of its Children's social care services last August.

Mr Goldup, who also held the post of National Director of Social Care at Ofsted, was formally appointed by the Secretary of State for Education, will chair his first meeting on the independent body on Thursday.

Chief Executive Chris Williams who previously chaired the board, has welcomed his appointment.

He said: "A new independent chair will ensure both complete transparency and an extra dimension of challenge to the work of the Improvement Board.

“We have robust plans in place to improve services as quickly as we can and with John's chairmanship I know we can deliver on our aspirations.

"Stepping aside from chairing the Board will allow me to fully concentrate on supporting my managers to drive the Improvement Plan at pace."

Last month, Children's services in the county were judged ‘inadequate’ by government inspectors in a national study - placing care provisions in Buckinghamshire alongside scandal-hit Rotherham.

Buckinghamshire County Council was one of seven local authorities in Britain to be named as inadequate by Ofsted, after failings were first identified last August.

Hours after the announcement, the council's chief executive Chris Williams revealed at a County Hall meeting that independent advisors had recommended he should step down from his role as chairman of the authority's improvement board.

The report judged Bucks as inadequate alongside the councils in Birmingham, Coventry, Knowsley, Manchester, Slough and Rotherham.