Hebden Bridge News

Child Protection Service Failures 'Unacceptable'

Calderdale Council says it is taking immediate and decisive 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.

An independent report published today (Tuesday, February 2nd 2010), 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
• 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.

“There can be no excuses for poor performance, particularly where the safety and welfare of vulnerable children is concerned.”

“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.

Among the measures we have already taken, we have:

• 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 our 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.”

Calderdale Council’s Cabinet Member, Children and Young People, Cllr Craig Whittaker, said: “There can be no excuses for poor performance, particularly where the safety and welfare of vulnerable children is concerned.”