Cardiff Council takes social services responsibility to avoid another Baby P

Cardiff Council’s have said a report on the city’s social services should be put to the full council to make them responsible.

A scrutiny committee has called for a report on social services in the city to be put to full council to make them shoulder the responsibility if there were to be a Baby P type case in the city.

Following the presentation of a report on the city’s social services efficiency to the committee from the director of social services, there was a discrepancy over who would be responsible for any future problems which arose out of negligence – it emerged the council would take the blame.
A report on Cardiff’s social services

The report from Neelam Bhardwaja is the first annual assessment of Cardiff’s social services as part of the Welsh Assembly Government’s new statutory guidance – view it here. It is meant for public consumption to identify areas where the authority is doing well and needs improving. Yesterday a joint scrutiny committee of the adult, children and young people services met to pose questions to the executive about the report and raise any queries.

But there was some confusion on who would shoulder responsibility for any future problems. Chair of the joint scrutiny – councillor Ralph Cook – said:

“Since Baby P there’s been a call to see not just the social workers but the whole council itself show how culpable they are. But if the report goes straight to the executive the council hasn’t had a chance to even see it.”

Cook said he sought legal advice on this issue but it was still unclear.

But executive member for social services, John Dixon, said after receiving the report it would go to the full council – which means any future problems would leave them culpable. “In the same way as the budget, the executive will receive the report then refer it on to the council,” he said.

Cook also queried the report for failing to providing a shortlist of areas for improvement as WAG guidelines dictated. Bhardwaja said she would take this point on board.

Speaking after the meeting, Ralph Cook said: “If we were to have a Baby P situation, although the executive and the director are culpable at the top – so long as the council had asked all the right questions and looked into it properly and it was a structural problem – they would have to take a measure of the blame.

“I think it is a triumph for the scrutiny process that our questions are being taken into account and I look forward to the director of social services taking on our recommendations.

 “Our social services have problems like any other. But we seem to be improving all the time and that’s good if something goes wrong.”

Budgetary constraints on social services efficiency

In her presentation Bhardwaja said: “The budget will be challenging. We are trying to manage but the one positive aspect is over the last two or three years we have worked hard to have systems which won’t allow overspend.”

Councillor Bill Kelloway said: “One of the greatest risks to social services in Cardiff is budgetary matters. I hope more resourceful ways of working would be set out such as more partnerships and I am encouraged by the fact this will happen.”

Councillor Geraldine grant raised concerns over under-qualified social carers. Maria Michael, Chief Officer Childrens’ Services said:

“We do have carers who are under qualified working in some complex circumstances, but this is always under supervision and alongside qualified social services workers. But even for children in need, considered lower priority cases, we have registered social workers with them.”