Afternoon:
10°c
Children at risk in eight local authorities
Tim Ross, Education Correspondent17 Dec 2008
TWICE as many councils as last year are failing to protect children like BabyP from abuse, figures showed today.
Ofsted rated eight authorities in England "inadequate" - the lowest grade - for keeping children safe.
Ministers immediately sent teams of experts in to strengthen child protection in the failing councils - which included Haringey, Essex, West Sussex, Reading, Wokingham and Surrey.
Ofsted's findings come amid heightened public concern over child abuse following the death of Baby P in Haringey.
Despite having been seen at least 60 times by Haringey's health and social workers, BabyP was left to die after suffering months of abuse and neglect.
Ofsted's chief inspector, Christine Gilbert, said: "I am concerned that some services provided for the most vulnerable children and young people remain inadequate Where this has been found, we have clearly identified where improvements are needed."
Reader views (1)
Until such time as the councils have the right to walk through your front door unannounced, day or night (ok, more than they have now) then there are going to be sick and/or inadequate parents abusing children. It is ALWAYS going to be a case of catch-up. It is ALWAYS going to be too late to have stopped it from happening in the first place.
Saying that it COULD be happening in some places is failing to accept that is IS happening everywhere.
People need to be able to speak up when they suspect abuse by others (with adequate safeguards against malicious accusations - plenty of 'witches' were burned over matters of personal enmity).
But don't - DON'T - give the local politburo an excuse to control your lives even more under the guise of 'protecting the children'. Hurt the people who hurt kids enough, legally, that they fear retribution.
All they get now is a measure of discomfort.
- Rogan, Irving, 17/12/2008 19:33
Report abuse
