Child protection the priority for Community Care readers

Dealing with the increase in child protection work should be a top priority for the new government, according to a Community Care readers' poll. Almost...

Dealing with the increase in child protection work should be a top priority for the new government, according to a Community Care readers’ poll.

Almost half (44.9%) of the 396 respondents to our poll so far ranked tackling increases in child protection referrals as more important than long-term adult care funding (27%) and protecting social care jobs (24%).

Establishing a national college of social work trailed in last place with 4%.

However, Paul Fallon, consultant and independent safeguarding board chair, has warned that the lack of a clear majority government will push issues such as rising referrals down the list of priorities.

“I don’t imagine children’s services are going to be very high up the agenda for anyone at the moment,” he told Community Care on Friday.

We asked visitors to our website: What should be the social care priority for a new government?

Responding to a similar survey by Unison last week, the union’s members said the government’s top priority should be to invest in implementing the Social Work Task Force’s recommendations for reforming the profession.

They also named developing a national standard for employers, national supervision requirements and training for frontline managers as key areas to focus on.

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