Apr 16 2009
Protection system for children in city ‘is good’
By Marc Meneaud »
Two in-depth reviews of how Bradford Council and other agencies work to protect the district’s children have found services to be effective.
But areas identified in the reviews for further development include the need to embrace a ‘learning culture’ across safeguarding agencies and the introduction of more robust and rigorous child protection plans.
One of the studies was carried out by Bradford University, the other by Cordis Bright, an independent research consultancy.
Bradford Safeguarding Children Board, which is chaired by Kath Tunstall, Bradford Council’s strategic director for services to children and young people, commissioned the reviews last November.
This was before any Government steps to review child protection services nationally which led to the Lord Laming report into the Protection of Children in England: A Progress Report published in March this year.
The Bradford University review highlights strengths including: l A stable workforce in children’s social care.
l Considerable experience at the frontline and in first-tier management.
l A well-respected and well-organised Safeguarding Board.
l A well-organised training programme.
l Evidence of strong relationships between senior staff in key agencies.
Strengths in the Cordis Bright review include: l Quick action to safeguard children.
l A prompt response to child protection concerns raised by the police.
l Children seen on their own and their voices heard in the majority of cases.
l Evidence of good partnership working, particularly with health and education l Initial child protection conferences held on time.
These reviews have also given Bradford Council the chance to assess local arrangements ahead of the publication of the Government’s national action plan for child protection being published at the end of this month.
The implications of this action plan will be presented in a report to the Council’s executive on June 2.
At a meeting on April 21, the executive is being asked to allow Children’s Services to begin preparing for this action plan by addressing the points raised by these reviews.
Councillor Michael Kelly, executive member for services to children and young people, said: “It is reassuring to know that the external reviewers have looked at and examined the services we and our partners provide to protect children in the district.
“We can never be complacent and must constantly challenge ourselves about child protection.”
e-mail: marc.meneaud @telegraphandargus.co.uk
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