BASW England comment on the publication of Safeguarding children with disabilities and complex health needs in residential settings: phase 2 report

The publication of the phase 2 review from the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel presents a damning verdict on services that should be there to protect some of the most marginalised children with disabilities and complex needs.

Instead, these children are being failed by the very support systems that should be there to protect them.

A lack of appropriate placements and continuous issues with recruitment and retention in the workforce underpin many of the problems that exist within children’s services.

The report is right when it calls for a “major overhaul” of the safeguarding system and we hope that the important role of social work in protecting and upholding the rights of children is considered as part of any action taken in response.

The role of Ofsted must come under further scrutiny as it was confirmed that they had been warned on more than 100 occasions about incidents at children’s homes with residents facing “horrific” abuse. This is more relevant than ever given Ofsted’s new, widely condemned role regulating care-less settings for 16-17 year olds which BASW has recently spoken out against.

It is also important to view this in light of further failings of the Hesley Group uncovered by the BBC show that issues are much wider than just within children’s services and that the whole culture of residential care needs to be examined further.

We hope that as part of the Government consultation on their children’s social care proposals through the Stable Homes, Built On Love strategy that they consider the wide ranging interventions and funding needed to ensure that every child has access to the support and care they deserve.

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The full phase 2 report is available to read here.