Correspondence

Slough Borough Council: External review - terms of reference

Published 5 March 2026

Applies to England

Background

1. In December 2021, the then Secretary of State for Levelling Up decided, following evidence of significant Best Value failure, to intervene in Slough Borough Council (SBC), through the application of Directions and appointment of Commissioners. These Directions were subsequently extended for a further two years in November2024, and the intervention was escalated to a Managing Director Commissioner model. Commissioners remain in place at the Council. The depth of failure in SBC at the time of intervention was unprecedented, but progress in recovery at the Council has been slower than anticipated over the lifetime of the intervention.

2. In October 2014, following an ‘Inadequate’ children’s social care (CSC) Ofsted judgement, the Department for Education (DfE) issued its first Statutory Direction (SD) to Slough and appointed a Children’s Commissioner. In 2023, due to concerns about Slough’s lack of progress following their 2021 Local Area Special Educational Needs (SEND) inspection, the department expanded the remit of the Children’s Commissioner to also cover SEND improvement and issued a SEND SD.

3. In July 2025, SBC was reinspected under the new Area SEND inspection framework, receiving a ‘widespread/systemic failings’ outcome. DfE are in the process of issuing its second SD, appointing Deborah Glassbrook as SEND Commissioner, in response to ongoing concerns that SBC is continuing to fail to perform to an adequate standard in meeting its statutory responsibilities.

4. In Children’s Social Care, the DfE is issuing its eighth statutory Direction, which formalises the move from Commissioner to Adviser support by appointing Jackie Wilson as CSC Adviser. This also brings within the scope of the Direction the Ofsted Area for Priority Action on keeping in touch with care leavers, identified in the Focused Visit published on 12 January 2026, to ensure statutory safeguarding duties are met.

5. Slough’s improvement journey in recent years has been inconsistent, and the Council continues to underperform. The Best Value Commissioners’ Seventh Report outlines concerns that the pace of progress at the Council has stalled. It is not in the best interests of Slough’s residents for the Council to continue at this pace of improvement. The Minister for Local Government and Homelessness has therefore established an external review into SBC, to assess the situation at the Council and identify potential routes forward.

Purpose and scope

6. This review is a novel approach, a bespoke response to the difficult circumstances at SBC. This review is advisory and will support Ministerial decision-making on the most appropriate next steps in relation to the interventions at SBC. It will also support Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) in its commitment to continuous improvement in its interventions at councils where best value failure is identified.

7. The review will therefore cover three areas:

1) Review of the progress in improvement at Slough –

• Understanding the causes of Slough’s inconsistent recovery journey through the intervention period, including consideration of the impact of senior officer turnover, political instability and financial pressures on the council’s improvement trajectory;
• Identifying key risks to improvement within the council and intervention model, including achieving long term financial sustainability;
• Considering implications of Slough’s position for HMG’s wider interventions approach in local government;

2) Options for immediate support to the Council –

• Assessing tools to expedite SBC’s improvement journey, up to and beyond the scheduled end of Best Value directions in November 2026.
• Identifying improvements to joint working between MHCLG and DfE appointees to support a single HMG approach to Slough.

3) Slough’s future –

• Considering the long-term viability of SBC on its current footprint;
• Exploring long-term opportunities for the borough of Slough, ensuring its economic potential is realised to the benefit of its citizens. This should include identifying possible mechanisms to strengthen Slough’s partnerships with local stakeholders and HMG.

8. This review is not intended to establish whether SBC is currently experiencing best value failure and does not supersede any of the Directions currently in place at the council.

Products and timeline

9. At the conclusion of the review period, the review team will provide a written report outlining their findings, and detailing their recommendations to HMG for next steps.

10. The review will commence work on 5 March, with a report to be submitted by the end of April. The review team will remain available past this date for further consultations with Ministers and Departmental officials, as required.

Appointments

11. Dame Mary Ney has been appointed to lead this review. She will be supported by Will Godfrey.

12. To enable the timely completion of this review, the review team will be provided with MHCLG support staff.

13. The lead reviewer will be paid a fee of £1000/day for their work with supporting reviewer paid £900/day.

14. Given its focus on Slough’s progress during a period of statutory intervention, the costs of the review will be met by MHCLG. All costs associated with the Best Value Commissioners will continue to be met by the Council.

Wider engagement

15. The review will work closely with best value commissioners, the SEND commissioner and children’s services adviser appointed by DfE, and officers and members of SBC, to support the fulfilment of the scope outlined above.

16. The review will seek to engage past senior officers and members at SBC, previous HMG appointees to the interventions at the Council, and MHCLG and DfE support staff who have worked on the intervention, recognising the significant changes that have taken place in the senior leadership and intervention teams over the lifetime of the intervention. The review will additionally be open to submissions from external stakeholders in Slough and the wider surrounding area – these can be made to SloughReview2026@communities.gov.uk.

17. The review will additionally pay regard to the Department’s ongoing evaluation of its Stewardship function, and consider the implications of its findings in relation to its forthcoming review of Best Value guidance.

18. The role of the Best Value Commissioners, SEND Commissioner and Children’s Services Adviser at SBC is unchanged. Commissioners and the Adviser retain the powers and functions outlined in the Directions, and continue their work to support the Council’s improvement journey.