Roundup: Childrens Services Report Joint Area Review

Following on from the outrage that rocked the country in wake of the the murders of Victoria Climbie (Wikipedia, the official Inquiry, the official Report, BBC in depth) and Baby P (Wikipedia, BBC Panorama, BBC report of the parliamentary fallout, BBC review of the key findings, BBC report of the impact on council workers) and which lead to investigations and resignations in Haringey Council social services department after their negligence was detailed by an Ofsted report, the government appears to have responded by ordering a thoroughgoing investigation into all childrens services across the country.

And the results do not make for happy viewing.

Doncaster was one English authority where children's services were previously rated as 'inadequate' (other failing authorities include neighbouring Wokingham, Birmingham, Essex, Surrey and West Sussex). It became the next council to uncover serious maladministration and shortcomings when serious case reviews into seven deaths of children were undertaken.

So with this context in mind Reading Borough Council has now published findings of the Ofsted Joint Area Review into its service with what some would say are expected results considering the challenging nature of the work involved - gossip about toddlers in Whitley dying from methadone overdoses are merely symptomatic of the political problem.

...and gradually reaction to the investigation leaks out onto the web. So let me give you a summary of what you, dear reader, may discover.

Firstly, news reports from the Evening Post of the scrutiny committee discussion on January 12th and the follow-up report of opposition bench reaction to it. There were immediate calls for Ruhemann to be relieved of his duties.

The LibDem group said the Inspection Reveals Devastating Catalogue of Failings in Children Protection in Reading and demanded that accountability needed to be seen to take place, while Reading Conservatives called Reading’s Care of Children “Inadequate” and stated that Labour’s Lead Councillor for Children’s Services must go.

Elsewhere, even erstwhile Labour, now Independent, Cllr Tony Jones asks,
"Who will stand up in the Labour Cabinet for this devastating assessment and take responsibility? No one.
Councillors love to take credit when things are going well, but are often hard to find after a report like this. Wait for the excuses and spin, or claims that things have already been improved."

Right on cue Labour Councillor Pete Ruhemann (Lead Councillor for the directorate in question) has released a statement to the press defending the council under his watch to preempt the motion of no confidence in him which will be forthcoming at the next council meeting.

Here is the BBC South Today report of events, while Jane Griffiths has an open thread for discussion of the topic and Reading's own resident satirist is typically pointed. Kentwood tory Emma Warman provides a view, as does Richard Willis.

There is a common misconception that all political parties are the same and that it is a waste of time for ordinary people to get involved in how your local community is run, but if you don't want a reoccurance of service failures of this sort to happen, then the only answer is to stand up and make your voice heard.

Politics is not just a matter of opinion, it can often be a matter of life and death.

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Update: Was (Katesgrove LibDem Councillor and reknowned tech-head, Warren Swaine) has added this comment to the discussion on Jane's site:

"The remedial action means that next year an extra £400,000 will have to be spent on Children's Services. The year after it's £300,000. This by any standard is a major failing in terms of political leadership and one consequence of the +1.9% council tax pre-election bribe."

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For full coverage of the events which have rocked Reading since the death of Child T, go to the Special Report on Children's Services in Reading (see sidebar).