SURREY COUNTY COUNCIL DROP 500 CASES

[Alison J Stevens]

Surrey County Council Social Services Department have dropped 500 cases, so that Social Workers can concentrate on protecting vulnerable Children.
The question is should these cases have been instigated in the first place, costing millions of pounds at the taxpayers expense, it costs Local Authority's up to £4000, to instigate the former, prior to April 1st April 2008, the cost was £150?
Director of Children's Services Andy Roberts said that the large case number was put down to the Baby Peter scenario, these 500 cases represents a tenth of the Social Services case load.
Cases have been closed, when the safety of the Children has been secured, this is also debatable? Because Ofsted statement for December 2008 rendered Surreys Services as inadequate.
These cases have obviously clogged up the Family Courts, resulting in meltdown, requiring Guardians and a waiting list to see these professionals, which also meant leaving Children at risk of abuse, and in the majority of cases, innocent Parents being apart from their Children for a longer time scale.
The statement also suggests that innocent Parents could have been put through hell, for no reason.
Five hundred cases is large and if the LA have been labelled inadequate, there is a possibility of another Child death tragedy, only time will tell, absolutely great for the Parents that have had their Children returned to them, but nothing will compensate for the trauma, that will be life long.

[The Lost Packet]

this is money and manpower that could be put to much better use, such as fixing broken buildings which are in a dangerous state of repair - yet the councils dump families in them - lighting streets, sweeping roads and pavements, maintaining public transport, getting REAL policemen on the streets (not the five foot nothing acne-ridden control freaks they have now manning the desks while unpaid specials are out doing the job THEY are supposed to be doing), keeping schools equipped and properly staffed...