MP angry after report reveals council is failing at-risk children

By nick horner news reporter

PERRY Barr MP Khalid Mahmood has branded Birmingham City Council 'a disgrace' after an Ofsted report said the authority is failing to protect at-risk children.

Government inspectors reviewed the authority's safeguarding and looked-after children services in June, and its report this month said there were 'critical practice shortcomings' and 'critical deficiencies in front line work with children and young people, despite significant attempts to deliver improvements'.

The findings have left Mr Mahmood feeling angry.

"This basically confirms what we have known for a while, they have tried to spin their way out of it but they just have not delivered the changes," he said.

"It is a disgrace what has gone on over there with all the money they have had to spend, they have not got the standards up to where they should be."

Failings in safeguarding services were highlighted by the death in May 2008 of Khyra Ishaq who was starved by her mother and step-father in Handsworth, despite being known to the council's social services. The pair were jailed this year after admitting manslaughter.

Ofsted inspector, Stephen Hart, said plans drawn up by the council following a Government improvement notice in February 2009, 'did not address serious deficiencies in the quality of the safeguarding and protection services which are longstanding, very evident and in need of immediate action'.

The council was further criticised for not knowing social workers' caseloads, whether children were being visited in accordance with statutory requirements or whether core health checks were being carried out for looked-after children.

"Although some improvements have been recently made in some key areas by social care services and partner agencies, some key and important deficiencies remain," Mr Hart said.

"Quality assurance systems, including supervision, fail to identify the major weaknesses in casework in too many cases with the result that poor working practices are not challenged."

The Birmingham Safeguarding Children Board had been 'pre-occupied' by its focus on 20 serious case reviews over the last four years, the report says. .

Ofsted said the council and its partners must immediately look at understanding the 'deficits in current practice' and 'provide a safe service to all children and young people'.

Management decisions must all be recorded on the child's records and steps must be taken to comply with statutory requirements for safe staffing.

Birmingham City Council's cabinet member for children's social care, Cllr Len Clark, said 'more needs to be done' to improve safeguarding.

"We know we are not good enough yet, we know more needs to be done and we know what we have to do to improve," Cllr Clark said.

"But there is no quick-fix solution to the problems faced in an authority the size of Birmingham.

"Birmingham has a track record of turning around services and there is determined political will to resolve this issue and achieve our goal – a world-class children's social care service."

Strategic Director of Children's Services, Tony Howell said: "I understand the sense of frustration people may feel – we all are impatient when it comes to ensuring the safety of children.

"But our will and determination to improve remains strong. Yes, we still face many challenges, but that will not deter us from fulfilling our ambitions. This is a 'can-do" city and we will do what needs to be done."

The council said it has already deployed 'high-quality' social workers to the front-line of duty and reduced caseloads.