Media Coverage
Sadly failings and poor practice by Herefordshire Council Children’s Services have been making national and local news for years. This trend continues into 2025.
Outcry as council seeks to make man who faced child abuse trial a family guardian
Journalist Anna Fazackerley wrote the below linked article with help from FAC.
The article appeared first in the printed edition of The Observer on Sunday 6th July 2025 and after a few technical issues is available to read online.
“The Observer has also seen emails which show that West Mercia police, which originally investigated and charged David with child abuse, were not consulted by the council about using him as a foster carer”
BBC News Links
2025
23 June 2025 Concerns raised about woman days before her death
8 May 2025 Concerns raised over foster carer accused of abuse
8 January 2025 Further concerns raised over children's committee
7 Jan 2025 (audio) 'I've got to the point where I don't know what else to do'
6 January 2025 Churchman leaves children's committee amid concerns
2024
4 December 2024 Children's services still a concern - commissioner
5 November 2024 Further inquiries into homeless mother’s death
10 April 2024 Parents call for more council resignations
3 April 2024 New boss to improve failing children's service
2023
13 December 2023 'Limited progress' on improving Herefordshire children's services
2 August 2023 (audio) Still work to be done at Herefordshire Children's Services, Ofsted say
2022
30 September 2022 'No quick fixes' for Herefordshire's failing children's services
22 September 2022 Herefordshire Children's Services report 'not as bad as it ought to be'
2021 and before
18 January 2019 Herefordshire child services to be reviewed
7 December 2018 Herefordshire Council provided 'woeful' care for girls
Broadcast on BBC One - 16th May 2022
Watch the Panorama expose here
‘Painful’ Ofsted report in Herefordshire leads to calls for resignations
In October 2022 Louise Tickle who was involved in making the Panorama expose wrote this piece for the Guardian newspaper following attending the extraordinary meeting of Herefordshire Council.
Some families who were effected attended the meeting and asked public questions. Louise also live tweeted her thoughts and observations of the meeting here.
Extraordinary meeting, Council - Friday 30 September 2022, 3.00 pm
This is an uploaded live stream of the extraordinary meeting held by Herefordshire Council following the Panorama expose but not the first extraordinary meeting following the damming High Court judgements.