Millions more will be pumped into the county’s “inadequate” children’s services after Buckinghamshire Council approved the release of further funds to tackle the shortcomings of care in the area.

Buckinghamshire County Council agreed the release of £4.8 million earlier this year following a damning Ofsted report, which highlighted the significant failings of children’s care.

On Monday, the council’s cabinet met to discuss an action plan that had been drafted to tackle these shortcomings.

Politicians agreed to recommend to full council the release of a further £1.64 million from its general reserves to fund additional 2014/15 measures in the plan.

The money is on top of the £4.8 million from the council's reserves and the £1 million from its contingency funds.

Leader of the Conservative-run council, Martin Tett, said: “I think we've done a very robust job both as cabinet and via the select committee in finalising a good but living document.

“It is to the credit of this cabinet and indeed this council that we have taken good time to go through this paper to give it a really thorough analysis to look at areas where we believe changes and improvements needed to be made from the original paper presented to us.

“The engagement we've had with our select committee colleagues who raised some really good points and for the team work we've displayed across all the political parties by putting children first and to make sure this is a really good plan, reflects the importance and the priority we attach to this particular area.”

The Ofsted report judged the county's children’s services and Buckinghamshire safeguarding children's board to be “inadequate” overall – the lowest rating possible.

This week, the news broke that the cabinet member for children's services in Buckinghamshire, Angela Macpherson, resigned from her post, citing “personal reasons”.

Councillor Macpherson has declined to comment on her resignation.

Cabinet accepted the original plan at its meeting on October 20, but postponed its agreement until concerns raised by the education, skills and children's social services select committee were addressed.

Mike Appleyard, lead member for children's services, said: “I've already witnessed an enormous amount of enthusiasm to move forward on this plan amongst the staff, senior staff and the cabinet too.

“I think the whole council is working very hard to ensure that we do achieve a ‘good’ status as soon as we possibly can.

“It is very important to me to know that whatever we put in place is sustainable and on that basis I am not necessarily keen to just do it as quickly as possible. What I want to do is get it right.”

An improvement board, made up of a mix of county council and partner representatives will be set up to oversee delivery of the plan, which is due to be submitted to Ofsted by November 21.