HC Deb 14 February 2003 vol 400 cc27-9W
Tim Loughton

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the retention rates are for child protection social workers employed in each social services department in England in the last three years; and what this represents as a percentage of total staff in that area of work on the fully staffed pay rate. [95997]

Jacqui Smith

We do not hold central information on retention rates for social workers employed in each of the social services departments in England.

Tim Loughton

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what extra training is to be implemented for social services departments child protection social workers in how to deal with abusive and intimidating parents and guardians of children deemed at risk. [96080]

Jacqui Smith

I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave him on 7 January 2003, Official Report, column 175W.

The National Task Force on Violence Against Social Workers recommended in 2001 that employers urgently undertook an audit of their organisation's ability to deal with violence and abuse and then did a training needs analysis for their workforce. They were then asked to prepare and begin an action plan to effect planned developments.

Those social workers who are working with children and families should undertake the post-qualifying (PQ) child care award. This was created in 1999 to equip qualified social workers with the required level of knowledge, understanding and skills to carry out the full range of expectations and duties of contemporary children's personal social services. However, as part of the reform of social work education, the General Social Care Council (GSCC) is undertaking a review of the current framework for post-qualifying training for social work. This will include a review of the PQ child care award.

In addition to this, the prescribed curriculum of the new social work degree includes the national occupational standards for social work, which require students to demonstrate the management of risk to individuals, families, carers, groups and communities and to assess, minimise and manage risk to self and colleagues.

Tim Loughton

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance his Department has issued to local authority social services departments regarding the recruitment of child protection social workers from abroad; and if he will make a statement on the policy of recruiting social workers involved in child protection from abroad. [96089]

Jacqui Smith

Guidance has not been issued to local authority social services departments regarding the recruitment of social workers from abroad. Qualified social workers from abroad who wish to work in this country register with the General Social Care Council, who validate their qualification.

It is the responsibility of individual employing agencies to ensure that their recruitment policies and procedures comply with current legislation whether recruiting within England or abroad.

Tim Loughton

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many child protection social workers recruited from abroad work in local authority social services departments in England. [96090]

Jacqui Smith

We do not hold data centrally on social workers recruited from abroad. Qualified social workers from abroad who wish to work in this country register with the General Social Care Council, who validate their qualification.

Tim Loughton

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action has been taken to investigate claims during the Victoria Climbié Inquiry that unaccompanied child refugees were placed in bed and breakfast accommodation by Brent Social Services. [96113]

Jacqui Smith

Giving evidence on Friday 12 October 2001 to the Victoria Climbié Inquiry, Mr. Turner, QC for the London Borough of Brent, made clear that Brent Social Services had a clear policy of not placing unaccompanied children under the age of 16 in bed and breakfast accommodation. At that time, the local authority also undertook a check on the actual position and reported to the inquiry that no such children were placed in such accommodation.

The Social Services Inspectorate has, this month, confirmed with Brent that this continues to be the case in practice.

Tim Loughton

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the compatibility of the confidentiality considerations contained in the Data Protection Act 1998 and the sharing of information about vulnerable children between agencies recommended by Lord Laming. [96035]

Jacqui Smith

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health, has said that we will consider Lord Laming's recommendations carefully and will publish a full response to the report in the spring.

Further, we plan to publish guidance to the national health service in September 2003 on patient confidentiality issues, including those relating to the Data Protection Act 1998.

Mr. Burstow

To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects to issue the guidance on information-sharing, as recommended in the Victoria Climbié Inquiry recommendation 16. [96633]

Jacqui Smith

My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health, has said that we will consider the report's recommendations carefully and will publish a full response in the Spring.

Independently of Lord Laming's recommendation, we plan to publish guidance to the National Health Service in September 2003 on patient confidentiality issues including those relating to Data Protection Act 1998.