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Wokingham’s child protection unit to be investigated
By Hugh FortJanuary 21, 2009
Wokingham Borough Council's child protection unit is to be investigated after it was branded "inadequate" in a report.
The Department for Schools, Children and Families (DSCF) has announced it is sending intervention teams to nine local authorities including Wokingham Borough Council after its child protection team was slammed in a Joint Area Review (JAR) by Ofsted.
How worrying do you think the report is? Have a say here.
The JAR followed a disastrous Ofsted report released in December, which also labelled the council’s child protection service, or safeguarding, as “inadequate”.
Also on the “inadequate” list is Haringey, which has faced stern criticism for failing to protect ‘Baby P’, the youngster who was beaten to death following months of abuse.
This week Susan Law, chief executive of the council, emphasised power was not being taken out of staff’s hands.
But Ed Balls, secretary of state for children, schools and families, stated the government would intervene in the failing councils.
Other authorities the Government has sent intervention teams to include Reading, Doncaster and Birmingham, where eight children died in its care in the last three years.
As a result of its damning report, Reading Borough Council’s cabinet member for children’s services, Labour councillor Pete Ruhemann, resigned on Monday.
- More in this week's Wokingham Times.
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