Exeter MP’s ‘last-chance saloon’ comment sparks anger amid crucial appraisal

A significant report on efforts by a Devon council to improve its underperforming children’s services department has sparked a political war of words.

The Department for Education appointed Nigel Richardson as Devon’s Children’s Services Commissioner after an Ofsted report in May confirmed the department remained rated as ‘inadequate’.
Mr Richardson’s report has been viewed positively by Devon County Council, whose most senior staff and political leaders have been amplifying efforts to improve the department.
But a letter from Josh MacAlister, the minister for children and families, struck a harsher tone. While acknowledging there was an “improving picture” for Devon’s children’s services, it reiterated this did “not negate the seriousness of our ongoing intervention” and that a trust model of intervention – where such services are removed from a council – “remains under active and serious consideration as part of our contingency planning”.
The letter prompted Exeter MP Steve Race to say the minister had made it “clear that Devon County Council remains in the last-chance saloon”, and that he welcomed the decision for the Commissioner to remain in place for now.
But the ‘last-chance saloon’ comment irked the county council, with Councillor Richard Jefferies (Liberal Democrat, Feniton), the cabinet member for children’s services, questioning the use of the phrase given the contents of the Commissioner’s report.
“When I read the letter from the minister, it said there were green shoots but the option of a trust was still open, but the tone didn’t sound like the experience I have had since being elected in May,” he said.
“That made me wonder whether the report would be as bad as the letter makes out, but when you read the two side-by-side, I can’t quite see how you write that letter.
“I can’t see how you get to a ‘last-chance saloon’ conclusion from reading that report.”
But Mr Race defended his comments and said he found the report to be “odd”.
“When you talk to stakeholders who use the service they say it is as bad, if not worse, than it has been, and the service was still judged as failing in the Ofsted report in May,” he said.
“I find the rosy tone to the Commissioner’s report interesting and it contrasts with the minister’s.”
Mr Race acknowledged Devon had put in place processes that were leading to improvements but that his “main focus is on the experience of vulnerable children and families in Exeter”, adding that he wanted to see “services rapidly improve as they have been failing for 12 years and that is not good enough”.
Ofsted previously rated Devon’s children’s services inadequate in 2020, and reaffirmed that rating earlier this year, with four areas judged inadequate and one as ‘requires improvement to be good’.
That Ofsted inspection report, published in May this year but containing evidence from visits in September 2024 and January 20205, said children’s experiences in Devon remained “poor”.
It noted the council had taken “decisive action” in response to significant weaknesses and implemented targeted plans that had supported positive change. But stated: “While there is a clear determination to turn around services for children, that is leading to some improvement, the current positive impact for children and care leavers is not widespread.”
Mr Richardson acknowledged the past, but couched his findings as being a “different type of report” that would require a “different and more creative response from the DfE”.
“The fact [Ofsted’s last inspection] contains quite a number of positive and encouraging comments about progress being made and that it gives the grade of ‘requires improvement’ for the impact of leaders on social work practice with children and families suggests to me that Ofsted observed a lot of things that were starting to come together positively albeit as they say from a very low base,” Mr Richardson’s report states.
He suggested Ofsted’s findings provided “clear evidence” of Devon’s capacity and capability to improve.
“Too little too late for the last inspection but something positive to think about looking forward,” he said.
“That left me with a dilemma as it supported my hypothesis that there was something different about where Devon were on their improvement journey. It also made me question how best to report back and how to make recommendations for the future that would be helpful and support the clear direction of travel.”
As such, he said Devon needs support rather than a “traditional report with another large number of recommendations”, and highlighted three areas of practical help alongside two “key areas of risk” as part of his report.
Ultimately, though, his conclusion appeared positive for the council.
“I am firmly of the opinion that Devon does have the capacity and capability to improve itself in a reasonable timeframe [and] I am also of the opinion that ministers can confidently leave the operational service control with the council,” he said.