Forget a government-funded college – we need our own profession to create a institution led by, and accountable to, social workers, says Hilton Dawson

Councils are facing a £116m a year bill to improve child protection systems and social work teams are overloaded, the Local Government Association has warned.

The cost of implementing child protection reforms recommended in the wake of the Baby Peter case will run into tens of millions of pounds and new rules and targets have left social workers so overloaded that vulnerable children’s safety could be put at greater risk, council leaders warn today.

Early research conducted on behalf of the Local Government Association by Loughborough University suggests that implementation of the Laming recommendations, made in the wake of the Baby Peter case, will require an additional 6,300 social workers.

Courts are refusing applications to take children into care because some members of the judiciary hold social workers in such low esteem that they do not trust their evidence, it will be claimed this week in a major study.

As local authority budget cuts bite deep, the future looks increasingly uncertain for students training to become youth workers. Not only do they see a shrinking jobs market, but many who study at college for the degree they need to qualify as a full-time professional are struggling to fund themselves.

High-quality childcare helps identify the needs of vulnerable children early on, according to a new report. Ofsted inspectors visited 25 childminders, nurseries and day care centres in England previously judged good or outstanding for the study.

A cross-party coalition of former health ministers has attempted to restart the stalled talks on social care funding.

The NSPCC is calling for a new law to ensure social workers can see at risk children alone. The charity says that the measure is needed as too often social workers take the word of parents at face value and fail to see situations from a child’s perspective.

The Princess, who is founder of The Princess Royal Trust for Carers, will open the Building Society to Care roundtable discussion, by talking about her experiences with the charity.