A young woman who was in the care of Swindon Borough Council for half her childhood has just passed her last exam for a PhD.

Swindon Borough Council’s corporate director of children’s services David Haley told the children’s health care and education scrutiny committee the young woman was still in contact with the authority's social work team and was even going to work with them.

After the committee’s chairman Coun Barbara Parry asked for reports to include more outcomes, Mr Haley said: “That’s a good point and we’ll take it on board.

“I’d like to tell members of a 26-year-old we’ve been working with who has just passed her Viva (a face-to-face examination for doctoral students) for her PhD.

"She has been a child looked after by this council since she was eight or nine.”

Mr Haley said the young woman will be spending a day a week with the children’s teams at Euclid Street to “bring her experiences to help influence the work of our teams.

“Her PhD is a great achievement," he said.

Coun Parry congratulated the young woman and said her success was also a testament to the work of the children’s social work teams.