Child protection praise for council

Jun 16 2009 by Johnathon Menzies, Perthshire Advertiser Tuesday

THE work Perth and Kinross Council does to protect children and young people in the region has been deemed some of the best in Scotland, according to the findings of the latest inspection report.

A total of 18 areas were looked at within the local authority’s children’s services and social work departments by education watchdog HMIe between December 2008, and January 2009.

The council’s “vision, values and aims” were deemed to be “excellent.

This, according to the report, means protecting children is a “high priority” and that the council’s chief executive and senior managers are “extremely visible” – while managers “support and encourage staff to challenge each other if they are concerned about a child.”

This rating has resulted in Perth and Kinross being classed as one of the best examples of the practice in this area throughout the country, according to the HMIe.

Council leader Ian Miller said: “This demonstrates a high standard and pays tribute to the outstanding work being carried out on a daily basis by many services.

“I would like to thank everyone involved for their dedication and commitment to this important area of work, including the social work, schools, housing departments, the drug and alcohol team and the early years’ team within the council – as well as NHS Tayside, Tayside Police and the voluntary sector,” he said. A total of 10 other areas were found to be “very good” and seven were deemed “good.”

The local authority’s chief executive, Bernadette Malone – who also acts as the chair of the council’s children and young person’s strategic partnership – said she was “delighted” by the findings.

She added: “All children have the right to grow up in a safe environment, and it’s everyone’s job to make sure our young people are safe from harm,” she said.

Councillor Miller, who is also chair of the community planning partnership, outlined his determination for the good work in the sector to progress, even in the face of imminent budget cuts imposed by Westminster.

He said: “This report places us in the vanguard position, at the forefront of the sector across the country.

“We are looking at the impact the funding cuts will have and we are taking steps to deal with it. They will undeniably have a severe impact.

“But this council will always work on a priority basis and I can assure everyone that looking after the most vulnerable in society will always be top of the list as long as I’m at the helm,” he stressed.