Fife Council in bid to improve child protection

Fife Council has taken another step towards tightening up its child protection services in response to a damning report published last year.

The local authority’s social work and health committee yesterday welcomed a self-evaluation and improvement plan aimed at putting the services under continual scrutiny.

Councillor Tim Brett, who chairs the committee, said, “We cannot be complacent and nobody is being complacent. We have to be constantly asking, ‘Are we doing everything that we can?’ “

In April of last year, HM Inspectorate of Education (HMIe) highlighted key weaknesses in child protection across Fife, saying children at risk were not being adequately recognised and assessed, and criticising information sharing and recording.

A follow-through inspection in February indicated the council had made good progress in responding to the HMIe’s recommendations.

However, the self-evaluation and improvement plan for 2010-11 outlined further challenges to be met by the council, NHS Fife and Fife Constabulary.

In 2008-09, Fife had the highest number of child protection referrals per population of 1000 people aged 15 and under, compared to other Scottish local authorities.

The high number was said to be placing an “excessive strain on the entire child protection system.”

According to the report, the majority of referrals were the result of cause for concern submissions by police, and did not involve criminal offences.

To manage such referrals, a steering group has been set up to review guidance on the submission of referrals.

Councillor Kay Morrison described the report’s suggestion the volume of referrals could mean the “most vulnerable are not being prioritised” as “very alarming.”
“Still a lot of work to do”

She said, “While the report in front of us goes into some detail about the areas in which we have improved, there is still a lot of room for further progress and further improvement.

“These are extremely worrying words and leave us in no doubt whatsoever that we still have, as a council, a lot of work to do.”

John Myles, the independent chairman of Fife Child Protection Committee, said there had been a “sea change” after last year’s HMIe report.

He said, “A lot of positive work has been ongoing and will continue, and will perhaps need to continue forever because there are always changes and always challenges ahead.”

Alistair Gaw, Fife’s head of service for children, families and criminal justice, said the demand for child protection services was set to “surge,” with the region’s population of 0-15 year olds set to increase by around 3% in 20 years’ time.

He said, “The protection of children is of the highest priority for all partnership bodies who continually monitor, assess and act to ensure the most vulnerable are kept safe.

“With the significant predicted surge in demand for child protection services, there is an imperative to streamline child protection systems and reduce paperwork for frontline staff.

“Early identification, intervention and support underpin our collective approach. But, child protection is very complex. Agencies must also consider the full range of services to address domestic abuse, substance abuse and mental health, which can all have a significant role to play in child protection.

“Our self-evaluation plan will now be used by all agencies as part of our drive to simplify and clarify child protection processes.

“This will help support staff across all services who are met with ever increasing demands, creating time for frontline workers to see children and families, share information between services and thereby improve service delivery and ensure better outcomes for children.”