12.12.14
NHS in Birmingham must share blame for child protection failures
The NHS in Birmingham must share the blame for the city’s consistent failures to protect children, the council’s children’s commissioner has claimed.
Former health minister Lord Norman Warner was appointed commissioner in line with the recommendation of a 2013 review by economist Julian Le Grand and Alan Wood, director of children’s services at Hackney LBC, which followed a series of critical Osted reports since 2008. His remit is to help turn around Birmingham City Council’s troubled children’s services department, but he claims the NHS has not helped.
He said: “It takes two to tango, and the NHS has not been a good tango partner.”
Lord Warner has written to NHS England chief executive Simon Stevens to ask for his assistance.
In his letter he says: “As far as I can see the NHS in Birmingham is simply not pulling its weight in protecting children.”
The letter highlights an alarmingly low number of children at risk referrals from NHS staff and failure to engage with their colleagues in social care.
“These failings were not simply within the City Council. The NHS has a fair measure of culpability.”
He also describes the Birmingham Safeguarding Children Board as ‘dysfunctional’ during an appearance before the council’s vulnerable children scrutiny committee.
He called for an overhaul of the Board, designed to challenge child protection staff across the city, which he labelled ‘ineffective’.
(Image: c. Rudolf Schuba)
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