CHILDREN'S services bosses at Bradford Council have defended a partnership set up to improve the lives of young people following criticism of its effectiveness.

The Bradford Children's Trust Board is made up of 40 representatives from the Council, schools, police, charities, community groups and other children's groups. It commissions children's services and works out which areas need more resources.

Its chairman, Councillor Ralph Berry, sent a survey to members earlier this year to see how the board could be more effective.

Less than a third of people responded and some of those criticised the board for being too Council centric and not reaching its potential.

The survey has now been discussed by the Council's Children's Services scrutiny committee when members asked if, in light of the poor questionnaire response, its members were really interested in making a difference.

Strategic Director of Children's Services Michael Jameson said: "It is an effective children's trust board, but it has to get a bit better. What we have is a work in progress.

"We need more focus about what it is there for. Maybe we need to think of two or three big issues and focus on them."

He said despite the poor survey response, the board's meetings were always well attended.

Scrutiny committee chairman Councillor Malcolm Sykes said: "The big question is does this make a difference? I don't care how many people attend the meetings, if only 32 per cent of questionnaires come back then are they interested?

"Some people who just love to attend meetings, but when you ask them what contribution they make they say 'not a lot.'

"What the board needs to do is show that it will make a difference and we have to challenge you to show us you are making a difference.

"It is disappointing so few people had a say, you would think a board set up to improve children's services would leap at the chance to have a say on how to improve it."

In response, Mr Jameson said: "I don't share your pessimism. This report has a lot of positive comments in it as well as saying it needed to do better."

Cllr Berry, the Council's executive member for children's services, said many of the groups involved in the board were restructuring which may have led to the low response rate.

"We need to get all the top agencies coming together to do what has to be done. If we are going to keep this board it has to add real value," he said.

The committee agreed the trust board should continue, but with a greater focus and more robust approach to certain issues.

The board will also give regular updates to the scrutiny committee on the progress it makes.