ESSEX: 'Inadequate' child protection services in major shake-up

A DAMNING judgement of Essex County Council's social services has been accepted by the man appointed to turn the ailing system around.

Paul Fallon, the new head of the county's Safeguarding Children Board (SCB), admits there is a lot of hard work ahead after Ofsted gave the county's child protection services an 'inadequate' rating.

It was one of just eight authorities to receive the judgement, including the much-criticised Haringey council which failed to help Baby P, the 17-month-old tot who died in November last year in an horrific abuse case echoing that of eight-year-old Victoria Climbie who died in 1998.

And on March 5, Ofsted – the Government's children and education watchdog – published some of its reasons behind its inadequate rating for 'safeguarding' children in Essex, finding:

Significant number of staff working directly with children recruited with no evidence of appropriate checks in place;

Unacceptably high social work caseloads leading to cases not being closed in a timely or safe manner;

Examples of child protection practice falling below acceptable standards;

Shortfalls in the system to identify and respond to incidences of domestic violence affecting children;

Delays in completing serious case reviews and implementing action plans;

Incomplete initial assessments being recorded as complete.

Despite this, Ofsted said the council's major strengths included preventative drug and alcohol services, sexual health provision and work to reduce re-offending and anti-social behaviour.

Mr Fallon took up the post in December last year in the wake of the Baby P scandal. He was previously head of social services at Barnet council, where he established the country's first SCB.

He said: "I don't think Essex is that far out of step with the rest of the country. But there is definitely work to be done.

"To some extent, since Victoria Climbie everyone has been encouraged to concentrate on earlier intervention – getting involved with families before the crisis point."

Mr Fallon added: "It could be the case that the eye has been taken off the ball a little bit.

"That is why we are seeing things like Baby P coming through now.

"With the best intentions in the world, everyone has spread themselves a bit too thinly.

"Social services are getting involved with a lot more families than they were before, but finding the Baby Ps is like finding a needle in a haystack – and as the haystack gets bigger, it gets harder to find the needle."

Mr Fallon's job will be to co-ordinate the work of all the agencies which have responsibility for protecting children from abuse and neglect, including police, social services and health authorities.

An additional 60 social workers will be employed in the county after extra funds were allocated from the latest budget.