VULNERABLE children in Reading will no longer be cared for by the beleaguered council following a damning Ofsted report.

Reading Borough Council has today announced an independent trading company will take over responsibility for the children's services.

The trading company will be wholly owned by the council who had a Children's Commissioner appointed after being rated Inadequate by the national watchdog in August last year.

Commissioner Nick Whitfield, chief executive of Achieving for Children who oversee children's services for Kingston, Richmond and Sunderland, said: "Since the Ofsted inspection last year the leader of the council has been clear with me that her foremost concern is the quality of the services the Council provides for children, young people and families in Reading.

“The lead member and council officers have been fully co-operative with me in exploring options that will allow the improvements in children’s services, which all parties want to see.

"We will work together in the coming months to ensure the Council’s ambitions are fulfilled."

The local authority will apply to the Government for funding to set up the new company which should be operational by September 2018.

Council leader Jo Lovelock said: "Throughout this process our priority has always been to put children first, and that is also at the heart of this decision.

"While improvements have been made, every organisation involved in children services in Reading accepts the pace of improvement is not quick enough.

"We recognise there remains much to be done.

"Transferring children’s services to a stand-alone council-owned company will ensure a single and dedicated focus on children’s care in Reading, allowing social workers and other staff to concentrate solely on their jobs.

"A number of Councils have now followed this route.

"It means we can build on the improvements made so far and – importantly – it will allow us to ensure those improvements are sustainable in the long term."