Child Protection 'Inadequate'
20 March 2013, 12:47 | Updated: 20 March 2013, 12:52
A report's labelled as 'inadequate' arrangements in Northamptonshire to make sure children are protected from abuse.
An Ofsted inspection's found Northamptonshire County Council are failing to recognise or help children at risk from harm.
In response, the County Council have announced what they're calling a "recovery programme", to "bring about immediate improvements to child protection services."
Council chief executive Dr Paul Blantern, said: “We had concerns about our performance as an organisation, which is why we actively sought an independent assessment of our strengths and weaknesses. We also had concerns about the effectiveness of the multi-agency arrangements in the county which the inspections have confirmed.
“By inviting Ofsted and other inspection agencies in to carry out a pilot inspection using their new methodolody, we were building on the improvement work which had seen the appointments of a new assistant director for safeguarding and a dedicated cabinet member for children’s social care.
“We accept the findings unreservedly.
“There are two major themes emerging from the inspection process. The first is that we and our partners need to improve the way we identify and assess children’s vulnerability so that we can reduce the risk of children and young people suffering harm or abuse.
“The second is that in we need to make sure we listen to and see things much more from the child’s perspective. Children and young people are not being appropriately involved in existing processes and as a result, their feelings and experiences are too infrequently taken into account.”