Concerns over the effectiveness of the independent officers who review children’s care plans are to be tackled by a new working group.
The group, including representatives from government, the Association of Directors of Social Services and the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service, will look at how to raise the profile of independent reviewing officers.
They have been in place at all councils since September 2004 to ensure authorities stick to care plans, and have the power to pass cases to Cafcass.
But Community Care revealed last month (news, page 8, 3 November) that Cafcass had not received any formal referrals, leading to concerns that the officer role was not sufficiently independent or powerful.
Reviewing officers’ role under scrutiny
December 14, 2005 in Looked after children
More from Community Care
Related articles:
Job of the week
Featured jobs
Employer Zone
‘Solutions can’t be scripted here – you have to be creative’
Putting a team around the social worker to make a difference to families
How working in residential care enables staff to build one-on-one relationships with young people
‘We will always challenge ourselves to transform our services to improve outcomes for children and families’
‘It’s our job is to observe the child, find their voice and be their advocate’
Employer zone – showcasing a selection of the sector’s top recruiters
Community Care Inform
Latest stories
Cafcass ‘in serious jeopardy’ regarding social work staffing due to pay constraints
‘Serious procedural failings’ led council to wrongly believe man posed risk to son, finds ombudsman
‘Passionate’ social workers help council gain outstanding rating, despite workforce challenges
TV investigation aims to highlight trauma faced by families from wrongful child protection action
Comments are closed.