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Cuts are putting children's lives at risk, social workers warn

Children's lives are being put at risk because of cuts to back office support in social care departments, the British Association of Social Workers (BASW) has warned.

According to a survey of 1,100 BASW members, 85 per cent have seen “notable cuts” to services in the last 12 months and 77 per cent are concerned about unmanageable caseloads, as a result of “administrative overload”.

Social workers responding to the survey argued that the system is at “breaking point”, with 88 per cent claiming that vulnerable lives could be put at risk by cuts to services.

One social worker reported: “The team I work in currently is working at dangerous caseload levels in terms of child protection work.”

Another described the situation in their social work team as a “serious case review waiting to happen”.

Social workers told BASW that cuts to back office staff mean they now spend even more time on administration than before the death of Baby Peter, almost five years ago.

They mentioned instances of having to clean toilets, buy their own stamps and hoover their offices instead of spending the time they need with children at serious risk of harm.

But despite their worries, 46 per cent said they are afraid to speak out about for fear of repercussions in the workplace.

BASW has written to Education Secretary Michael Gove to outline its concerns, and is urging the All Party Parliamentary Committee on Social Work to hold an inquiry into the risks created by an overstretched social work service.

The association is also calling on local authorities to reallocate administrative staff from less critical roles to support social work departments.

Hilton Dawson, BASW’s chief executive, said that social workers are being forced to spend less and less time with vulnerable children.

“The government pledged in 2010 to protect frontline social workers, yet by axing support staff they have turned social workers into glorified typists,” he said.

“We cannot afford to wait any longer for urgent action from government. Lives that could be helped will be neglected, and lives that could quite literally be saved, will be lost, unless the response is swift and total.”

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