Unison has raised fresh concerns over outsourcing of public services after Doncaster MBC confirmed it is looking for a private partner to take on its beleaguered children's services department.

The local authority announced it had started the search for a partner to take on the search on 9 May and the Department for Education (DfE) has approved its tender specification document. The new partner should be in place by July and bring with them a successor to the current director of children's services, Chris Pratt, who leaves in June.