Sex scandal council to take action

THE South Wales council at the centre of a foster care sex abuse scandal earlier this year has completed an action plan to ensure it doesn’t happen again.

Vale of Glamorgan Council was criticised in the summer after social services placed a teenage sex attacker with a family whose children he subsequently sexually abused.

Following an inquiry, the council admitted responsibility and drew up the action plan.

Council leaders have now signed off the document, which will be sent to the Care and Social Services Inspectorate Wales in advance of its follow-up review in 2010. The plan makes changes in areas including staff supervision, case file structures, recording on file, risk management, and transitions between children and adult services.

In his report to the council’s cabinet Phil Evans, director of social services, said: “Many of the changes will need to be consolidated and monitoring systems tested out before the council can be confident that improved practice is securely embedded in all those areas where the problems identified by the inquiry occurred. Many of the actions in the plan do not require additional resources but improvements in social work practice that will encourage further a strong sense of professional accountability.”