More than a third of children's services directors now have portfolios that embrace wider responsibilities, putting in to question the utility of existing statutory guidance, the incoming president of the Association for Directors of Children's Services (ADCS) has claimed.

Speaking yesterday at the ADCS presidential reception in London, Hackney LBC director of children's services, Alan Wood, set out four key priorities for his tenure.

These included securing greater support for early year's places and meeting additional demand for schools places.