Govt pours money into retaining social workers
Wednesday, 6 May 2009 12:00 AM
By politics.co.uk staff
The government is pumping £58 million to stop the exodus of social workers from the profession since the Baby P scandal broke.
In a series of measures compiled as a response to Lord Laming's damning assessment of children's services, children's secretary Ed balls proposed child protection boards, made up of members of the public to improve services.
But shadow children's minister Tim Loughton poured cold water on the plans.
"The government has social work reform back to front," he said.
"Ministers cannot hope to entice more social workers back into the profession unless they fix the problems that originally drove them out.
"Social workers need to be back on the beat, not stuck in their seats. The Government has to take away the tick boxes and cut through the bureaucracy so the professionals can spend more time with children in need."
Other measures announced today include the appointment of former Barnardo's head Sir Roger Singleton as chief advisor on child safety together with a group of senior children's professionals to support him from the NSPCC and Ofsted, among others.
A cross-government 'safeguarding delivery unit' will also be launched to spearhead improvement on frontline services.
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