Government Names Five Rotherham Commissioners

The government has named the five commissioners who'll take over the running of Rotherham Council and confirmed they'll plan to be in charge until March 2019.

Eric Pickles has also promised £250,000 to help set up an outreach project to help victims of child sexual exploitation (CSE). Sir Derek Myers will be the Lead Commissioner, Stella Manzie will take the role of the Managing Director Commissioner and Malcolm Newsam will be nominated as Children's Social Care Commissioner. He said Mary Ney and Julie Kenny will be supporting commissioners. Eric Pickles announced that he would replaced Rotherham Council's cabinet with appointed commissioners following the Casey Report earlier this month which denounced the authority's woeful response to CSE in the town. Louise Casey's report followed last year's shocking Jay Report which described how more than 1,400 children had been subjected to rape, trafficking and grooming between 1997 and 2013. Today, in a written Commons statement, Mr Pickles also referred to the Risky Business project in Rotherham - highlighted in both reports as a beacon of hope in the town but which was effectively closed down by the council. He said: The (Casey) report concludes that the critical work undertaken by Risky Business 'is now missing from Rotherham'. This should not continue, and historic victims of child sexual exploitation should be given the help they need.So, accordingly, subject to being provided with an appropriate business case demonstrating value for money, I am prepared to make available £250,000 over the next two financial years for a Risky Business-style service to be established.''