A CABINET meeting is set to give the final go-ahead for an independent body to take over Slough's children’s services department at the end of the month.

Slough Borough Council is set to approve the contract which will see Slough Children’s Services Trust take control of the council’s children’s services department with a launch date of October 1.

The report outlines agreements relating to budgets, staff pensions, property lease and the management of the council’s liabilities on exit of the contract.

However, concerns have been outlined that going live at the end of the month is too soon and some corners have had to be temporarily cut.

The report states: “Key work streams have not been satisfactorily concluded and a view has had to be taken as to what is critical to achieving the set go live date of October 1, whilst leaving key but not critical matters to be resolved post go live.”

The document also notes there is a risk to service improvement during the transition, but that ‘doing nothing’ would provide even slower progress than a temporary blip in the system. The report states: “Additional and enhanced resource and capacity has been created by the establishment of [the Trust]. New leadership brings a fresh approach.”

With things in full swing at the Trust a blog post on its website from August 24, written by Nicola Clemo, chief executive, said: “I have tried to make it clear on all my visits – there will not be individual desks for individual team members. I believe our plan offers a really new, exciting way of working.

“Our offices will include spaces where teams can discuss and debate, a quiet room for working on your own, smaller breakout rooms and meeting spaces.”

The council was to be stripped of control of its children's services department after a series of deeply critical Ofsted reports.

The meeting, which will take place on Monday at Chalvey Community Centre from 6.30pm, will also discuss fees for Hackney Carriage and private hire driver and operators, pressures on Local Welfare Provision and the new Local Authority Partnership Purchase.