Lack of a desk delays the employment of key workers

The lack of a desk has led to a three-month delay in employing two key child protection workers, it emerged last night.

Moray Council was given funding in September to employ two domestic abuse family support workers for 12 months.

Cramped conditions within the council’s social work team based at Elgin Police Station has postponed the recruitment process, however.

The local authority last night said arrangements were being made and the posts would be advertised early in 2010.

The support workers were funded by the Fairer Scotland Fund to work primarily with families in the New Elgin and Kingsmills areas of Elgin.

A September report to the Smarter Strategic Group anticipated that both posts would be filled by November.

Moray’s chief executive Alastair Keddie calls for “immediate action” in a new report that will go before the Audit and Performance Review Committee tomorrow.

He warns: “Lack of progress will impact on the achievement of the local outcome to improve child protection services in Moray.”

Last night, Moray deputy convener Allan Wright said the two people had been “ear-marked” for the posts.

He said: “There have been some delays but the major one is we have not got a desk for them at the moment in that Elgin social work team, and that is where they have to be based so there’s proper management for them.”

John Divers, Labour councillor for Elgin City South, criticised the council’s administration.

He said: “I am a bit disappointed that this funding was agreed some three months ago and the jobs have not gone out to advertisement, which would have been the obvious step. If they say there is a shortage of work spaces then I would have thought they could have been accommodated elsewhere as a temporary measure.”

A Moray Council spokesman said: “Although the funding has been secured, the Elgin social work team needs to accommodate the two extra members of staff. Work in relation to that is continuing and it is hoped that the posts can be filled early in the New Year.”

A report by HM Inspectorate of Education (HMIE) in February rated 10 out of 18 aspects of Moray child protection services as weak, making it one of the worst reports of its kind in the country.

The remaining eight categories also gained poor ratings, with three rated as unsatisfactory and five as satisfactory.

It is anticipated that a £500,000 joint police, council and NHS child protection unit could be up and running at the Hamilton Drive base in Elgin within two years.