DEMANDS for resignations at the top of Sandwell Council hit fever pitch this week after the Government stepped in to run its children’s services department after “over a decade of letting down vulnerable children”.

The role of London-based company Impower, which was paid at least £1.5 million of taxpayers' cash to improve children’s services over two and a half years without success, is now coming under the spotlight.

Prime Minister David Cameron has announced that a commissioner will run the crisis-hit department until a trust or another council can take control.

Longstanding critic of Sandwell Council, former Langley councillor Mick Davies, who runs the only children’s centre in the country to get two outstanding Ofsted reports, demanded resignations.

He said: “Thankfully for the sake of Sandwell’s children, commissioners are being sent in to sought out this mess. For over a decade the most vulnerable children in Sandwell have been let down time after time as have committed social workers, who have been used as scapegoats for inadequate leadership both politically and professionally.

“The leadership consistently has been identified as being inadequate, yet they remain.”

He added: “The leader of the council and the chief executive, Jan Britton, have nowhere else to run. They both should show some integrity and resign immediately.”

Halesowen and Rowley Regis MP James Morris also called on Sandwell Council top brass to “reflect on their positions”.

He said: “There are serious changes that need to take place in Sandwell Council. Senior officers and Councillors need to seriously reflect on their position and ask themselves whether they have done enough to challenge the way the Council is managed.

“Ultimately, the buck should stop with those who are elected to positions of responsibility, they are accountable to the people of Sandwell"

A council insider said: “Impower was signed off by Jan Britton and it has cost the taxpayer over £1.5 million and nothing improved. In any other job he would be sacked.”

Mr Britton was appointed chief executive in 2010 and earns more than £139,000 a year.

Consultants Impower were brought into the council in 2013 and left this summer, but the council refused to tell the News how much the deal cost.

Councillor Simon Hackett, Sandwell Council's cabinet member for children’s services, insisted that the number one priority was to look after children and young people.

He added: “We are working hard to make improvements and welcome the appointment of a commissioner who will help us to achieve this.”

UNISON has written to the Government raising concerns about a trust repeating the mistakes Impower made.

Joint secretary Tony Barnsley said: “Our members are motivated to work and provide a good quality service, but want to do this as public sector employees.

“We have experienced the private firm Impower and it was not positive experience.”

He added: “When Impower arrived the service was rated adequate by Ofsted and they had the job of leading the council to becoming good. By the time they left children’s services was rated inadequate."

UNISON also warned of a staff exodus at Sandwell if a trust took over of due to the change of workers’ pay and conditions.

Joint secretary Sharon Campion added: “Transferring staff to an unknown organisation, with unknown consequences on our members’ pensions etc can only create more instability since there is a serious risk that staff may exodus the Service.

“Increasing staff turnover would have a negative impact on the Service provided to children in the borough.”

Impower were unavailable for comment.