Surrey social services ‘as bad’ as Baby P council

Full Article: http://www.stopinjusticenow.com/news/archive/2009/march/10/06.htm
Surrey social services ‘as bad’ as Baby P council
Social workers have warned there could be another Baby P scandal in Surrey after the county council’s children’s services were rated the joint worst in Britain.

Ian MacDonald, a social worker who is lead convenor of the Childrens’ Services branch of UNISON in Surrey, told the Herald that he and his colleagues are spending more than 60% of their time on paperwork and children are being put in danger as a result.

And union bosses added they were outraged that two social workers have been suspended and more than 50 are under review for not reaching performance targets – which they claim are counter-productive.

A letter from UNISON, the union representing Surrey’s social workers, to Surrey County Council has warned that staff are extremely concerned that the horrific death of Baby P (pictured) after months of neglect could be repeated in the county.

Mr MacDonald said: ”There is always the chance of a Baby P happening in Surrey when social workers don’t have the time to properly evaluate families and children.”

“Social workers in Surrey are doing a very good job in very difficult circumstances but there will always be a danger if we can’t concentrate on the direct work with the children. It’s becoming an untenable position and it’s dangerous. ”

The warning comes after the Audit Commission ranked Surrey’s education and social care as inadequate in a report published on Thursday March 5.

The council was only joined at the bottom of the table by Doncaster, Milton Keynes and Haringey – which was embroiled by the Baby P scandal last year.

The Surrey union also passed a motion at January’s AGM warning that social workers were handling unacceptably heavy case loads and being pressured to prioritise financial needs over the interests of children.