His report, commissioned by Children's Secretary Ed Balls after the fallout from the death of 17-month-old Baby P in Haringey, today criticises poor inspection and calls on social workers to be better trained.
His report said: "Inspection processes have not been as effective as scrutinising practices in safeguarding as in education." It added that "performance indicators in use for safeguarding children are inadequate for this task".
Laming said he was surprised that trainee social workers can go through their whole degree without any practical experience and start their first day as a social worker with a full caseload. He called for a post-graduate qualification in social work to be introduced.
Other key findings are:
Register Now to Continue Reading
Thank you for visiting Children & Young People Now and making use of our archive of more than 60,000 expert features, topics hubs, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's Included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Email newsletter providing advice and guidance across the sector
Already have an account? Sign in here
