‘Medway Tories failing our most vulnerable children’, say Lib Dems
The news that Medway Council has been given six months probation, to improve its failing children's services, is very worrying, say Liberal Democrats. These are very serious shortcomings, and the probation should be a wake-up call for the Conservative run administration.
The findings of the Commissioner for Children's Services already follows two previous reports by Ofsted that judged the overall effectiveness of the Council's children's social care services to be 'inadequate'. Whilst we recognise that frontline staff are not to blame - and are dedicated to the children they support - there is poor oversight at a senior level.
It shows they are failing children, and failing to provide an environment for good social work. Structures put in place by Senior Council Officers have clearly not worked as they have overseen a 'serious decline', - a failure of leadership at the highest level.
Liberal Democrats demand better as our most vulnerable children are being let down and Medway's Children's Services have a vital role to play in supporting our most vulnerable young people. The 'shocking incompetence' of suitable leadership in Medway Council has to be addressed as rapidly as possible to remedy the situation.
Liberal Democrats will continue to fight for investment in our local health and care services.