Cheshire West and Chester Council has pledged to carry out an independent review of its child protection case files, following a critical report by Ofsted inspectors.
Council leader Mike Jones and chief executive Steve Robinson, who is also chair of West Cheshire Children's Trust, said that "decisive action" was needed following the report.
A team of independent assessors from other councils will be brought in to sift through 150 files and ensure appropriate action is being taken.
Councillor Jones: "All files from across the borough will be examined and if it is found that our procedures do not meet the highest standards then action will be taken immediately to remedy the situation.
"Sadly, no authority can totally protect its children from those who are minded to harm them but I am determined that we are seen to be doing everything we can to prevent them from harm, whatever that takes."
During an unannounced visit in September inspectors gave the council's child protection service its most serious grade of "priority action needed".
They found there was a high turnover of social workers and managers, "serious weaknesses" in child protection investigations and poor management. Some cases were so poorly managed that they "left some children at risk of significant harm".
Ofsted inspectors have told the council that the children's services department’s current rating of "performing well" could be downgraded to "performing poorly" unless its child protection service improves.
A team of independent assessors from other councils will be brought in to sift through 150 files and ensure appropriate action is being taken.
Councillor Jones: "All files from across the borough will be examined and if it is found that our procedures do not meet the highest standards then action will be taken immediately to remedy the situation.
"Sadly, no authority can totally protect its children from those who are minded to harm them but I am determined that we are seen to be doing everything we can to prevent them from harm, whatever that takes."
During an unannounced visit in September inspectors gave the council's child protection service its most serious grade of "priority action needed".
They found there was a high turnover of social workers and managers, "serious weaknesses" in child protection investigations and poor management. Some cases were so poorly managed that they "left some children at risk of significant harm".
Ofsted inspectors have told the council that the children's services department’s current rating of "performing well" could be downgraded to "performing poorly" unless its child protection service improves.
