More than a third of child abuse inquiries are ‘inadequate’
The Independent and the Telegraph report warnings from Government inspectors that more than a third of inquiries into the most serious incidents of child abuse may be sub standard. OFSTED inspectors have said that serious case reviews carried out by social services are frequently inadequate.
The Children Act 2004 arose out of the Government’s Green Paper, “Every Child Matters” alongside its formal response to the Victoria Climbie Inquiry Report. The intention of the Act was:-
• To concentrate on outcomes that children and young people say are important rather than organisational change
• To create clear accountability for children’s services
• To enable better joint working
• To secure a better focus for safeguarding children
Part 2 of the Act introduced provisions in England to support better integrated planning, commissioning and delivery of children’s services, and to provide clear accountability. Local authorities are under a duty to make arrangements through which key agencies co-operate to improve the well-being of children and young people. Key agencies are under a responsibility to have regard to the need to safeguard children and promote their welfare in exercising their normal functions.
Section 12 of the 2004 Act made provision for local authorities to establish databases of information about certain vulnerable children, in order to assist communication between professionals, who are supporting those children.
More recently the Children and Young Persons Act 2008 placed further requirements on local authorities to protect children and young people.
Read reports at: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/serious-child-abuse-inquiries-inadequate-1647363.html
