Following rapid improvement in its children’s services, Wokingham Borough Council has been short listed for a prestigious award.

The borough council is one of six finalists in the Municipal Journal Awards in the category Best Achievement in Children’s Services. Municipal Journal’s panel said: "Wokingham children’s services have made rapid progress in a very short time, turning around earlier critical verdicts and setting out a clear course for improvement under a strengthened management team that has given greater priority to clear strategy, service improvement and good communication." 

In January 2009, safeguarding services were judged ‘inadequate’ by Ofsted. The council took action to address a number of issues and the hard work paid off when in December 2010, the borough council was the only council in the country to jump two grades, from ‘performing poorly’ to ‘performing well’ in its annual performance assessment.

Andy Couldrick, strategic director, said: "Being short listed for such a prestigious award is a great honour and a credit to all our staff who have worked so hard over the past 18 months to turn children’s services around.

"We have a team engaged and motivated to work with the borough’s children, young people and families; we have a clear strategic direction led by our members; we are supporting children, young people, families, schools and settings who can all give voice to the transformation in the quality of the service they receive and experience.

"Further improvements will take place in children’s services for Wokingham residents: we are ‘at the end of the beginning’ of our improvement journey. But with our children’s services team, and our partners, we believe that what we have achieved in a short amount of time should be celebrated."

Cllr David Lee, leader of the council, said: "I am delighted the judges have recognised the good work we have undertaken to turn our children’s services around. It’s been a long road to get here, and work is on going to improve the service even further. We are committed and dedicated to our children and young people and we will not rest on our laurels."

The final of the Municipal Journal will take place on June 23 in London.