Vulnerable children still at risk in Kent
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by
political editor Paul Francis
Vulnerable children in Kent may still be exposed to risks
despite the efforts by social services chiefs to address serious
failings in a damning Ofsted inspection.
The warning comes in a report by the independent board appointed
to oversee how Kent County Council is addressing serious
shortcomings in child protection identified in a highly critical
report by Ofsted last year.
The previously confidential report, which KCC has chosen to
release, says that despite positive steps it was not yet possible
to be confident that "children are consistently safer in the short
term or that improvement can be sustained over time."
County Hall bosses say many of the issues highlighted by the
report are already being addressed.
The board’s report commends KCC for its efforts and what it
describes as "the excellent strategic leadership...now in place"
but flags up a number of areas of concern.
It says the continuing rise in referrals to the council of cases
where children may be at risk is "unsustainable" and expresses
concern over numbers in the system.
Rising numbers of children being referred to the council means
the service is "highly stressed" while there is "a signficant
retention issue" in relation to staff.
It says the number of newly-qualified staff taken on by KCC to
address staff shortages presents a significant risk and the need to
recruit more experienced staff will not be easy to address.
The board also highlights the recent failure of KCC to appoint a
permanent director for children’s services and the number of
interim directors in posts as "a major issue for the council to
resolve."
Liz Railton, the chairman of the Kent Safeguarding and Looked
After Children Improvement Board, concludes: "In the context of a
large and diverse county, a great deal remains to be done to
achieve a sustained impact."
Cllr Jenny Whittle (Con) KCC’s cabinet member for specialist
children’s services, said the report was a fair summary. Speaking
at a cabinet meeting (20), she said:
"It is a very encouraging report on the direction of travel and
progress to date. We have made significant progress since May and
the number of unallocated [child referrals] cases has come down to
65 in June. But we cannot be complacent here."
Malcolm Newsam, KCC’s intermim director of corporate social
care, cautioned: "There is no quick fix. It will take time to put
the sustainable plans in place."
It is understood interviews for a full-time director will be
held in July.
Monday, June 20 2011
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