Under-fire children's services boss leaves council

ROTHERHAM Borough Council's under-fire head of childrens’ services will leave her post with immediate effect, an official statement has revealed.

Mrs Thacker had come under increasing pressure to resign her post in the wake of Prof Jay’s report into CSE failings in the borough and following the resignation of South Yorkshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner, Shaun Wright.

A statement issued to the media by the authority’s communications department this afternoon stated: “Joyce Thacker, the authority’s Strategic Director for Children and Young People's Services, is to leave Rotherham Borough Council by mutual agreement, with immediate effect (Friday September 19).

“The Council will be making no further statement at this stage.”

Last week Mrs Thacker had joined Mr Wright in insisting that she would not stand despite calls from members of the Home Affairs Select Committee for their pair to consider their positions in light of Prof Jay’s report into CSE in the town.

Mrs Thacker said: “I have given that a lot of thought and I am not stepping aside, for the simple reason I am accountable to the people and the children and families in Rotherham.”

But she admitted: “I could have done more. Hindsight is a wonderful thing. But I don’t accept there was a full dereliction of my duty.”