OUTSIDE help must be brought in to support Worcestershire County Council children's services team, it has been announced.

Essex County Council has been formally appointed as Worcestershire's Improvement Partner, with experts from London working alongside the county council team to improve the lives of children and young people in Worcestershire.

The appointment has been approved by Trevor Doughty, the Department for Education's Commissioner for Children's Services in Worcestershire and comes after ongoing concerns about the county's children's services being inadequate.

The Commissioner also published a report in which he said as well as external senior expertise being introduced - the council would need to adopt an alternative delivery model for the services.

One example, would be setting up an independent trust.

In the report, he said: "The failings in WCC Children’s Social Care Services are deep seated and complex and are continuing.

"These failings have clearly existed for some time, and appear to have become embedded in the thinking and behaviours throughout the whole service and are widespread."

He added: "I cannot support Children’s Services remaining in Worcestershire County Council in their current format and an organisational form that is more likely to deliver whole system improvement is more likely to achieve the intended outcomes."

The council must now discuss voluntarily placing children's services into this different form at this month's Cabinet meeting.

The Essex team was chosen as a partner after being recognised nationally as a best in class improvement partner due to their track record of improving their own services, and working with other local authorities to deliver sustained improvements for children.

A new multi-agency plan providing a new commitment to improving the lives of children in Worcestershire received unanimous approval by Worcestershire County councillors this week.

Previously the authority came under fire after the Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission named the county as among the worst parts of the UK for social mobility.

Councillor Fran Oborski, chairman of the children and families overview and scrutiny panel, at the time said the authority was "badly letting down" disadvantaged children.

Following the latest announcement Councillor Andy Roberts, cabinet member with responsibility for children and families, said: "Our priority is to make sure that long term improvements are made to children and young people's lives in Worcestershire.

"We remain absolutely committed to that and we have already allocated an extra £5.1 million into improving children's social care in Worcestershire this year.

"I am pleased that Essex County Council has now been formally appointed as our improvement partner.

"Essex will support us to deliver the improvements that we need to deliver."