A NEW interim director is among those drafted in to help turn around Herefordshire s failing children s services department after a raft of failings were exposed in a damning judgement. Councillors hit out at a culture of lies, delays, and misdirection which prevented proper scrutiny of the department, while staff were said to be too frightened to speak out against poor practice at an extraordinary meeting called to receive the judgement and vote on a series of improvement measures on April 27. But, councillors were told, action is being taken, with new interim director Cath Knowles drafted in to turn the department around under new chief executive Paul Walker, while the Department for Education has appointed improvement advisor Gladys Rhodes White.