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Peter Black and South Wales West Liberal DemocratsRepresenting Aberavon, Bridgend, Gower, Neath, Ogmore, Port Talbot, and Swansea |
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Political Parties must work together to fix Children's Services says Assembly Member
March 5, 2009 12:00 AM
The Welsh Liberal Democrat Assembly Member for South Wales West, Peter Black, has called on all political parties on Swansea Council to put aside their differences and work together in the best interests of children as the best response to the possible setting up of an intervention board to oversee Children's Services.
Mr. Black was speaking in the light of the political fallout following the Deputy Minister for Social Services' statement on Tuesday about services in the City.
"Although I have not seen the report I have been briefed on it and have had discussions with those who have," said Mr. Black. "It is very serious judgement on children's services in Swansea but it is not all negative. For a start inspectors have concluded that all the key performance indicators have improved since their last inspection. None of them are considered poor, though four of the seven are classed as inconsistent. The concern that the Minister and the CSSIW have is not that the Council is failing to improve but that improvement is not moving fast enough.
"The report also recognises the positive influence of the Cabinet Member for Social Services on the improvement process and considers the establishment of a separate Cabinet Member with statutory responsibility for children, as has happened in Swansea, to good practice. However, the main concern of all those I have spoken to is corporate and political leadership and the fact that not all Councillors are committed to that aim.
"There is huge concern that instead of pulling together to support officers in putting right evident weaknesses in children services, some councillors have taken the opportunity to score political points instead. This was most evident in the refusal of the opposition leaders to take part in an all-party improvement board six months ago, a decision that seems to have directly influenced inspectors and prompted the minister to act.
"Even as late as this week some politicians continue to misrepresent this report and are using it to score points when they should be coming together to work for the best interests of children. I am particularly appalled at claims that the initial inspection that led to the intervention process was sparked off by the death of Aaron Gilbert. In fact that inspection was a programmed one and took place before the joint review into the circumstances of Aaron Gilbert's death had reported. That review found that although a Swansea social worker had failed to follow proper practice, Aaron Gilbert had never been a social services client and that there were severe failings on the part of the Police, the Probation Service and the health services as well.
"If opposition politicians do not now put aside their differences and work together for the best interests of children, if they do not take their corporate parenting role seriously and if they do not abandon the endless sniping and name-calling on this issue then Swansea Children's Services will fail to satisfy the tests that will face it over the next twelve months. I want to see the Council's performance indicators in this area rated as good or excellent but to do that officers must have the support of the full council."
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