§ Tim LoughtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans he has to implement Lord Laming's recommendations on child protection when formulating future star ratings for Social Services Departments. [127564]
§ Margaret HodgeThe Green Paper Every Child Matters and Keeping Children Safe—the Government's response to the Victoria Climbie Inquiry Report and the Joint Chief Inspectors' Report Safeguarding Children were published on 8 September, and copies are available in the Library.
Since the Victoria. Climbie Inquiry Report was published on 28 January 2003, councils with social services responsibilities have been required by the Social Services Inspectorate to carry out a self-audit of their child protection services. This was based on a checklist 1123W issued by the Government of the recommendations in the report that were considered to be basic good professional practice.
Within the social services star rating system, there are performance levels expected for child protection services. For 2003, this will include a performance indicator on child protection review conferences. It will also use the audit of child protection services. Where inspectors judge that the audit has revealed that a council's child protection services are only at best, serving some people well, then the overall assessment of children's services will not be higher than "serving some people well", with a consequent effect on the maximum star rating that a council can achieve.
§ Mr. Damian GreenTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many of Lord Laming's recommendations in his report on child protection had been put into action by 1 July. [127894]
§ Margaret Hodge83 of the 108 recommendations contained in the Victoria Climbie Inquiry report had been partially or fully implemented by 1 July 2003.
Our substantive response to the report as part of the Green Paper 'Every Child Matters', was published on 8 September.