Councils failing 'abused children'

All 'at risk' children should be regularly assessed

Thousands of children are at risk of being abused because of a failure by councils to assess their cases, a government report shows.

Figures published by the Department of Health reveal that just one in five councils in England managed to review the cases of all children on their "at risk" register.

This means that one in six children were not checked to see if their health, safety or development is being risked by living with their families.

In some areas, four out of five children are not being assessed regularly.

Best councils

Plymouth

Devon

Isles of Scilly

Medway Town

Swindon

Kingston Upon Thames

Bromley

Bexley

City of London

Wandsworth

Government guidelines suggest that children who are placed on the Child Protection Register should be assessed every six months.

Just 28 of the 150 councils in England met that target last year.

In Liverpool, just one in five children were properly assessed.

Annie Shepperd, an executive director at Liverpool Council who is in charge of social services, told BBC News Online that improvements had been made in recent months.

"Those figures represent the fact that the previous management did not consider reviewing children on the Children at Risk Register as a priority.

Worst local authorities

Liverpool

Warrington

Haringey

NE Lincolnshire

East Riding of Yorkshire

Hillingdon

Sutton

Richmond Upon Thames

Birmingham

Greenwich

"As soon as I arrived, I alerted the Department of Health and our own elected members that this was totally unsatisfactory.

"I immediately put in place measures to remedy this and today we have a 100% record on reviewing those on the register."

She said 185 children had been taken off the register in recent months. She predicted that the council would be one of the top performers in this area when figures are published next year.

'Significant worry'

Health Minister John Hutton described the overall findings as unacceptable.

"This is a significant worry. Whatever the explanation, it is not acceptable.

"These children are extremely vulnerable and if their situation is not assessed, they could be placed at risk.

"Decisions about these children are being allowed to drift, and that is dangerous."

Neil Hunt, director of child protection services at the NSPCC, said he was concerned about the findings.

"Each and every child placed on the child protection register is there because there are real fears about his or her safety.

"To fail to review even one child is a clear failure of child protection services.

It must be a matter of major concern

Neil Hunt, NSPCC

"It must be a matter of major concern - for government as well as local authorities - if any one of these vulnerable children fails to receive the help they deserve."

The report into social services also reveals that many children who have been taken off the Child Protection Register are put back on.

Councils were this is most prevalent are the Isles of Scilly, Sandwell, Cumbria and Portsmouth.

The report suggests that re-registration of children means that social services staff are failing in their duties.

It states: "Re-registration may suggest that the professionals responsible for the child's welfare are not intervening effectively either to bring about the required changes in the child's family situation or to make alternative plans for the child's long term care."