REGULATORS have been called in to Blaenau Gwent council to help urgently address "real problems' at the authority.

The council has asked for support from the Improvement Board, to meet the challenges it faces and to help "re-direct and stabilise social services".

Representatives of the Assembly government, the Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA), the Audit Commission in Wales and public services inspectorates will join council officers and members on an advisory board, in a bid to improve service quality.

The first meeting of the board - which will include chief executive Robin Morrison, council leader John Hopkins and deputy leader Nigel Daniels - will be held later this month.

The decision to call for external help from regulators followed a whole authority assessment last year and a joint review of social services published in May 2003.

The damning report, by the Audit Commission and the Social Services Inspectorate, showed vulnerable children were being failed by the council. It revealed some children thought to be at risk had been unvisited by care workers for months.

The Argus has learned social services director Roger Bone went on leave two weeks ago and his department is now under the control of the chief executive.

Councillor Karen Williams, the executive member for social services, confirmed yesterday she will be standing down at the next election. She stressed she made that decision six months ago and it had nothing to do with the current situation.

Sandy Blair, the director of the WLGA, said: "The scale of the challenge is significant and represents a test for the authority and the improvement board."

Councillor Hopkins said the council had taken a critical look at itself, admitted its faults and taken drastic action to improve.

The advisory board will help with "strategic and managerial support to stabilise and re-direct social serves and implement the improvement plan following the joint review".

Councillor Hopkins said: "This offers the authority a unique opportunity to move forward in partnership with key national bodies to achieve rapid and sustainable improvement in service delivery in areas of Blaenau Gwent where we have real problems that urgently need to addressed."

He added that he expected the regulators to be involved for up to a year.