Child protection is a vitally important statutory duty. However, the combined impact of rising demand in terms of children coming into care and financial pressures continues to place a strain on the social care sector.

Given the financial climate, we were asked like many other local government departments to make efficiencies. Rather than simply look to cut costs we took a different approach. Consistent with the county council's wider transformation programme, this approach focused on doing things better by finding new, improved ways of working. The results are now benefitting not just Warwickshire but other authorities too.