News

Looked-after children in north east Wales are having their cases allocated to unqualified staff because of a recruitment crisis.

A report by Flintshire Council states that some of its children-in-need cases and “low-level” child protection cases are being unallocated.

The problem is so severe the council is “fast approaching” a situation where it will be unable to allocate any child protection cases, the report adds.

Only six members of its children’s fieldwork team have more than two years post-qualifying experience, and agency social workers make up around a third of the workforce.

The report recommends a series of measures including attracting more overseas workers and a recruitment campaign targeting London to tackle the problem.