§ Mr. HardyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children who are or may be at significant risk have not been allocated to a qualified social worker; and what action is being taken to remedy the position.
§ Mrs. Virginia BottomleyThe information collected centrally about children who are or may be at risk relates to children on the child protection register.
A child's name is normally placed on the child protection register following discussion at a case conference, convened by the social services department or by the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, when abuse or potential abuse is confirmed and an inter-agency agreement is made to work co-operatively to protect the child. When a registered child moves, the child should be registered at once pending the first case conference in the new area.
The most up-to-date information about numbers on child protection registers relates to 31 March 1990. This information is collected from all local authorities in England and is published in the provisional feedback "Children and Young Persons on Child Protection Registers, year ending 31 March 1990, England". Copies are available in the Library.
The latest information about the number of children on the registers in London boroughs who are not allocated to a social worker is published in "Child Protection Services in London, Aspects of Management Arrangements in Social Services Departments, 31 December 1989", together with numbers on the registers at the time at which the survey took place. Copies are available in the Library. Similar information is not available centrally for the rest of England.
It is for individual local authorities to make arrangements to carry out the child protection plans for children in their area on the child protection register. The social services inspectorate offers positive support to local authorities in their efforts to maintain and develop the child protection services which they have a duty to provide.