THE Solihull social services team tasked with protecting at-risk children is ‘fragile and vulnerable’ chiefs admit in a report spurred by the death of Baby P.Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council’s efforts are being damaged by staff sickness, people leaving and agency staff, it says.
More than 30 reports of children potentially in need have yet to get an initial assessment.
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It comes as the number of contacts rose 23 per cent to about 5,000 in the last 12 months and initial assessments rose 20 per cent, to 1,424 in the 12 months to July.
The council has been providing reports on the service since the high profile death of Baby P, Peter Connolly, in Haringey, London in 2007.
A court case over the death of Birmingham seven-year-old Khyra Ishaq has meant child protection remains a major public issue.
Pointing to failings in social services, the trial judge in that case said it was ‘beyond belief’ the youngster had been allowed to starve by her mother and partner.
A SMBC report said the 12-person ‘Duty, Assessment and Referral Team’ had ‘survived the difficulties of increased work pressures and loss of permanent staff over the past twelve months remarkably well and there have many improvements’.
Yet it goes on: “The service however remains fragile and vulnerable with agency staff who inevitably lack the same sense of ownership of the work that Solihull staff have, other staff leaving or being on sick leave and increases in workload.”
One social worker, one assistant team manager and the head of service for children in need are on long-term sick leave, it says. Another assistant team manager has left.
The speed of completing assessment for children not at risk of ‘serious harm’ is ‘being adversely affected by a combination of sickness and staff turnover’ it warns.
A 2009 reviewed called for two more managers, who have appointed, and three social workers and assistant team leader.
It said there were ‘varying degrees of success in terms of numbers and quality’ for the latter.
Last year’s review warned there was ‘insufficient capacity’ and the report says the lack of the assistant team leader means scrutiny of social workers is ‘not as consistent or robust as it should be’. An ‘experienced’ social worker will step up into this role.
The report goes on: “Some family support workers feel they are undertaking work beyond their perceived level of responsibility.”
It said ‘significant variations exist in workloads and practice methods’ between staff groups and the need to close off finished cases was slowing the start of new cases.
But it said screening processes have been improved and so had the passing cases on to other authorities – a key criticism of the Baby P case –with a new protocol.
A new duty system is be put in place to share work, new meetings will scrutinise areas of improvement and an experienced social worker is set to be taken on for 12 weeks.
The council’s adult social services was named one of the worst in England by the national Government watchdog in December.
The council has repeatedly said it is under-funded.
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