Child care report slams services: 'We're taking action' pledge, but MP astonished at 'litany of failure'
CALDERDALE Council says it is taking immediate action to address concerns it has found about its children's social care services.
The council recently commissioned a review into how aspects of children's services were run because it was concerned about the standards of care being offered to vulnerable children and families.
The independent report, by consultants Pricewaterhouse-Coopers, highlights a number of areas of concern, particularly around: the council's Initial Response Team – usually the first point of contact for children and families needing children's social services; the Family Support and Child Protection Teams; and systems for recording information about cases.
Calderdale Council's Director of Children and Young People's Services, Janet Donaldson, says that it was imperative for her to take immediate and decisive action to address the issues highlighted in the report.
"The state of affairs which the report uncovered is unacceptable and I want to reassure the people of Calderdale that we will take all necessary action to make sure that we will provide the high quality services our children deserve.
"The practice of some members of staff is of concern and as a result people have been suspended, which is a neutral act, but the decision has been taken in order to facilitate a full and thorough review of management practice.
"It is not appropriate for us to comment further on this at this stage other than to say that we are following the council's agreed processes.
She said that among the measures already taken, the council had:
- Taken immediate action to address those cases highlighted by the service reviewers where there were specific concerns.
- Introduced a Single Initial Response Team, so that there is one point of contact for children and families needing help.
- Put a special team in place to ensure that each area of the service improves and improves quickly.
- Appointed an Improvement Board, which is chaired by the chief executive, to ensure that there is real and sustained improvement.
- Started an in-depth review of the management and organisation of the service.
"The report highlights that we are not doing well enough and we have already taken swift action to tackle the areas of concern and will continue to drive forward improvement," she said.
Calderdale Council's Cabinet member for Children and Young People, Coun Craig Whittaker, said the safety of Calderdale's children was paramount.
"All councillors have a responsibility as corporate parents to the children who are in our care. We need to ensure, first and foremost, that they are safe and that they receive the help and support they need promptly.
"I was concerned about the standard of children's social services and I raised this with Janet Donaldson, who was appointed in August. Janet has taken swift action to get to the heart of the issues.
"This report, which was commissioned in October last year, is about the council being honest with itself and rooting out those areas where improvement needs to be made.
“Where there are concerns, they must be addressed. In an area as important as children’s social care services, that needs to happen sooner rather than later.
“There can be no excuses for poor performance, particularly where the safety and welfare of vulnerable children is concerned.”
Calder Valley Labour MP Christine McCafferty called for those with responsibility for the systematic failure in children’s services at Calderdale Council to take full responsibility for their inaction – and called for Coun Whittaker to consider his position.
Mrs McCafferty said: “I am astonished by the litany of failure outlined in the independent report.
“My major concern is the apparent reluctance to commence formal child protection inquiries and examples given in the report involving the failure to ‘risk assess’ convicted offenders.”
She said she raised concerns about services for looked after children with the new director of children’s services in August 2009, three days after her appointment, and was pleased that she initiated the commissioning of this report.
But Mrs McCafferty added: “I believe there was a clear failure by the portfolio holder for children’s services and other Cabinet members to implement rigorous monitoring of the department.
“After holding the Cabinet post for Children’s Services for almost three years and stating that he had ‘always suspected there were aspects of the service we were not getting right’, I do feel that Coun Whittaker should seriously consider whether he is the best person to protect the most vulnerable children in Calderdale.
“This is not a party political point. These matters are far too important for that; however, those responsible must be held to account.
“I have therefore today brought this report to the attention of the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, Ed Balls.”
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Wednesday 30 May 2012
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