Senior figures have clashed over the proposal in last week's CareMatters green paper to pass responsibility from local councils to"social care practices" run like GP surgeries.
Alastair Pettigrew, director of children's social care at the LondonBorough of Lewisham, backed the plan: "Looked-after children need andwant someone to confide in and it is disrespectful to them that wecreate organisations that result in those people continually changing.We have to learn from GP practices where people remain in place."
But the Association of Directors of Social Services expressed concernthat the new arrangements could blur the lines of accountability. Theassociation's vice president, John Coughlan, said: "We've never had aproblem with exploring new models of care. But we are particularly keenthat the line of accountability through to the corporate parentsshouldn't get blurred."
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