City child protection plan agreed

A child protection plan drawn up following a scathing report by government inspectors has been approved by Dundee councillors.

The report, released last week, stated that many children were not given help until crisis point was reached.

The inspectors rated child protection services "weak" or "unsatisfactory" in half the areas they examined.

A 34-point action plan covering issues such as training and information sharing will now be implemented.

A review into the future development and delivery of child protection services will also be carried out.

Child protection services were examined in February and March by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Education (HMIe) who studied the work of the council, police, NHS Tayside, the Scottish Children's Reporter Administration and voluntary and independent groups.

Publication of the report was brought forward following the death of 23-month-old Brandon Muir.

Robert Cunningham, who was the drug-addict boyfriend of Brandon's mother, is serving 10 years in jail for killing the toddler by hitting him so hard that his intestines burst.

The social work department had been involved with Brandon a year before his death.

The HMIe inspectors did not consider Brandon's case, which is the subject of other reviews.

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Dundee City Council
HMIe
Tayside Police
NHS Tayside
Scottish Children's Reporter Administration
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