New Blackpool children's services boss revealed

Ms Gent will leave her current position as head of transformation at Lancashire County Council to take over the Blackpool role from Diane Booth who has taken retirement.

The appointment was made by Blackpool Council this week, but no date has been set yet for when Ms Gent will start her now role. In the meantime, Blackpool’s assistant director of children’s services Jeanette Richards will oversee the department.

The change comes after Blackpool’s children’s services has just been given the go ahead to continue delivering the service.

The department had spent nearly two years being monitored by children’s commissioner Helen Lincoln following its ‘inadequate’ Ofsted rating in January 2019.

But the review found improvements had been made to ensure vulnerable children were now getting the care they need.

Speaking at a meeting of the full council just ahead of her retirement, Ms Booth said she was leaving the department in good hands.

She said: “The building blocks for continued improvement are in place. It takes time but it will continue to improve further.”

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