Birmingham City Council today accepts the findings of the Scrutiny Inquiry report on protecting children.
Leader of Birmingham City Council Cllr Mike Whitby said:
“I welcome the Scrutiny Report which represents a serious examination by the Council of the challenges facing children’s social care in Birmingham.
“Our focus remains fixed on putting in place the changes needed to ensure the most vulnerable young people in our city get the care and support they need.”
Cllr Les Lawrence, Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Families, said:
“While recognising there is still work to do, I am pleased that we are starting to see substantial improvements already coming through.
“There is no quick fix to the problems highlighted, some of which affect all councils nationally, such as the recruitment and retention of social workers.
“However, I am committed to doing everything in my power to ensure we provide the best possible care to the children and young people of this city.”
Cllr Len Clark, Chair of the Scrutiny Inquiry, said:
“Many of the findings of this children’s social care inquiry will not make comfortable reading for the Council. This was not the intent. But if we are to make sustainable progress and not just short term fixes, we must address the underlying issues identified in our report. This must be the City Council’s top priority.”
In July Children’s Minister Dawn Primarolo said Birmingham City Council had made “good progress” at the half-way mark and praised the priority placed on improving the service by the authority’s political and corporate leaders (letter included).
Measures already introduced include:
• Strengthening the senior management team.
• Enforcing higher standards in recording of cases through a training programme.
• Shifting focus upon maintaining children in the community rather than in children’s homes.
• Addressing over-reliance on temporary workers through a recruitment strategy encouraging agency staff to apply for permanent positions.
• Launching a campaign to recruit more foster carers.
• Addressing poor quality accommodation in children’s homes through a modernisation programme.
Tony Howell, Strategic Director for Children, Young People and Families, said:
“All of us who work with children want the very best care for the young people of this city.
“In order to get there we have had to undergo a difficult journey and we still have some way to go.
“I know my colleagues within the Council are fully committed to continue making the changes necessary to achieve long-term and sustainable improvements needed.
“The Scrutiny Report is a valuable step along the way and we welcome its publication.”
Cllr Clark said the Scrutiny Inquiry had been an in-depth and far-reaching examination of the issues facing children’s social care.
“As a comparatively new responsibility, Scrutiny enables Members to examine front line service delivery first hand and not just rely on information being presented to them.
“This report demonstrates how, when you have all party commitment and involvement, Members can forensically examine important issues for themselves. The recommendations in the report were unanimously agreed by Inquiry Members and no challenge to the findings has been made by the Council Executive.
“The Scrutiny Report is not an alternative to the Improvement Notice served on the City Council. It addresses the issue of how the Council ensures improvements are sustained and embedded.
“While there has been progress in terms of meeting the requirements of the Improvement Notice, the report makes clear that unless fundamental management and performance issues are purposefully addressed it is unlikely that any short term improvements will be sustained.”
Councillor Clark will present the findings of his report to Full Council on 13th October.
A copy of the report, entitled, Who Cares? – Protecting Children and Improving Children’s Social Care, can downloaded by clicking on the links below.
Who Cares Motion to Full Council 131009.pdf
Who Cares-Protecting Children and Improving their Care 13.10.09V3.pdf
Exec Summary – Protecting Children 13102009.pdf
Notes to Editors
• In December 2008, the Government’s Annual Performance Assessment (APA) downgraded Birmingham to “inadequate” in the area of “Staying Safe” – one of seven areas assessed by Ofsted.
• The Task Force led by Cllr Whitby was set up after the APA assessment to drive through improvements.
• One of its key proposals was the setting up of an all-party scrutiny inquiry into children’s social care.
• In January, Birmingham City Council was issued a year’s Improvement Notice to turn round safeguarding children.
• Birmingham City Council looks after 2,400 children and supports a further 1,400 through child protection plans. There are more than 250,000 children in Birmingham.
ENDS
Further information from Shahid Naqvi 0121 303 3635.
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Amazing.
You’ve managed to give extensive council reaction to a damning report about children’s services witout mentioning anything about the catalogue of failures uncovered by Len Clark’s inquiry.
Wasn’t there something about “unfit for purpose” and “systemic and deeply ingrained failure”?
Well done, Pravda!