Warwickshire News Mine

Following the legal verdict on the death of Baby P, Lord Laming was asked to report on the progress being made across the country in delivering effective arrangements to keep children safe.

Lord Laming said that child protection must be given higher priority to protect vulnerable young people and called for a step change in the way services are run.

His report contained 58 recommendations which were accepted by the Government. The impact on local authority services will become apparent in the coming weeks.

Warwickshire Children’s Trust board member Marion Davis said the report, which follows on from Laming’s previous inquiry into the death of eight-year-old Victoria Climbie, contains a huge range of implications for safeguarding and children’s services.

She said: “I welcome the recommendations, and am particularly pleased that the secretary of state Ed Balls has accepted them all immediately. What we now need to understand is exactly how the Government will be implementing the changes.

“There has to be a timeline and more detail around the recommendations – such as how the investment will be made and how raising of standards will actually be achieved.”

Ms Davis, who is also Strategic Director for Warwickshire County Council’s Children Young People and Families directorate, added that Warwickshire had already made great strides with integrated working and excellent progress with its Children’s Trust arrangement.

She stated: “The Laming report majors on child protection but also emphasises how every child matters to us as corporate parents and underlines the accountability the Children’s Trust has for ensuring that outcomes for vulnerable children are as good as they can be.”

Warwickshire Children’s Trust brings together all services for children and young people in Warwickshire, underpinned by the Children Act 2004, to focus on improving outcomes for all children and young people.

The Children’s Trust will continue to support those who work every day with children, young people and their families to deliver better outcomes - with children and young people experiencing more integrated and responsive services, and specialist support embedded in and accessed through universal services.

Warwickshire Children’s Trust Board is chaired by Cllr Izzi Seccombe. Members include Warwickshire County Council, schools, NHS Warwickshire, the voluntary and community sector, Warwickshire Police, district and borough councils, the Learning and Skills Council and the Chamber of Commerce.

Cllr Seccombe, who is this week attending a Local Government Association summit in London with Lord Laming’s inquiry team, said: “There a few points in the report which require clarification and challenge, and I hope these are addressed directly by the inquiry team.

“As chair of the Trust, I feel that one of the most important aspects of the report is that it stresses how vital political leadership is in bringing to account the partner organisations in the role of safeguarding and understanding how they can improve children’s lives, and not just paying lip service to their duties.

“The leadership role of the Trust is very significant and we cannot allow the complexities of partnership working to be an excuse for getting in the way of safeguarding our children.

“I welcome other key points made in the report to address the training of professionals, and how the protracted legal processes impact on vulnerable children at a critical time for them. I also believe that Laming’s proposed national safeguarding delivery unit has the potential to be the catalyst for children’s trusts to meet our high ambitions for children.”

Link to WCC