Cultural barriers and significant change at the corporate level have slowed the response of St Helens MBC to serious failures in its children's services, according to a follow-up Ofsted report published this week.

Following a ten-day inspection from 23 September – the third visit to the authority in 15 months – the inspectors concluded that the overall effectiveness of the service remains inadequate; as does support for children in care and care leavers. Leadership and support for children who need help and protection were both assessed as requiring improvement.