Cornwall safeguarding provision puts children at risk

In September 2009, the government issued Cornwall with a notice to improve its safeguarding provision.

While Ofsted found some evidence of improvement, inspectors said the local authority still has an "unsafe child protection system" which "leaves some children at risk of significant harm".

"The extent and rigour of focus on operational child protection procedures and practice has been insufficient," the latest report warned.

"There is substantial evidence that children’s social care does not ensure that consistent and robust risk assessment is undertaken, due to a lack of adherence to some key statutory child protection guidance."

Inspectors also found that management support for staff is lacking and managers fail to challenge staff about the quality of child protection and child in need plans, "despite significant increases in the number of social workers and management capacity, and the structural reorganisation in children’s social care services".

The watchdog is now calling on the council to take immediate action to rectify poor practice and make sure that risks to looked-after children are promptly and effectively identified.

Within six months the council has been instructed to improve placement stability for looked-after children and make sure that all care leavers are placed in suitable accommodation, among other measures.

Trevor Doughty, Cornwall’s director of children’s services, admitted that the council still needs to improve elements of its safeguarding services, but he said frontline managers and social workers have been working extremely hard to make these improvements.

"Going forward we will be focusing relentlessly on the quality of practice," he said. "The key is to ensure that high-quality is consistently achieved in every case. None of this can be done without all agencies working together to safeguard the most vulnerable children in Cornwall. This has to be a collective effort by all the agencies responsible for safeguarding children. Everyone has a part to play."

Meanwhile, Warrington Borough Council has been judged adequate for safeguarding children and young people. This represents an improvement from the council’s last inspection which rated it inadequate in this area.

"Statutory requirements are now met and the child protection needs of children are being more effectively addressed," the report said.

Annual Ofsted ratings for all councils in England have now been confirmed.