Report slams Birmingham Social Services

A recent published report (05 October 2009) has heavily criticised Birmingham City Council's Social Services department. Video Editor Phil Vinter highlights the report's major conclusions. There are interviews with the report's author and an irate Khalid Mahmood MP for Perry Barr, who was previously a local councillor.

Baby P and the Death Toll Keeps Rising. 52 + Named Children Now Dead from Social Services Failures

I wanted to do an update as the shocking numbers grow on children dying from Social Services failures. With the numbers rising let us not forget that doesn’t include the children that are dying IN social services care and the DCSF report shows that Children placed in care are three time more likely to die than others and a DCSF report showed that 800 children have died in care in the last ten years which is on average 2 a week so where does this leave children in need of protection who are then placed in care and should be safe from harm and neglect?.

PLEASE NOTE, THESE FIGURES WILL BE UPDATED EVERYTIME WE RECIEVE OR FIND INFORMATION ON A CHILD MURDERED. ALL INVOLVE SOCIAL SERVICES FAILURES AND ALMOST EVERYONE INCLUDED NSPCC FAILURES TOO. THERE ARE STILL AT LEAST A FURTHER 40 NAMES TO ADD TO THIS LIST SO BARE WITH ME AS I AM SEEKING THEIR AGES AT DEATH

Birmingham hospital claims council owes £500,000 in bed blocking row

A Birmingham hospital claims council owes £500,000 in bed blocking row

Birmingham’s biggest NHS hospital is taking on the city council in a bitter row over alleged unpaid debts.

University Hospitals Foundation Trust claims it is owed £500,000 to cover patients who are well enough to be sent home but cannot be discharged because the council’s social services and housing departments have failed to provide suitable care packages for the mainly frail elderly patients.

Under the Community Care Delayed Discharges Act, councils must pay hospitals £100 a day for every patient occupying a bed unnecessarily.

It seems that Birmingham’s other NHS Trusts are also talking to the council about alleged unpaid debts.

In a statement, University Hospitals said: “If the council, as per its contractual arrangements, cannot provide appropriate facilities into which the patients can be discharged, the patient will not be transferred and will remain in hospital.

“In such cases of delayed transfer, the council has an agreement with UHB to fund continuing hospital care.

‘‘As a result of this agreement, the council owes UHB approximately £500,000 for the care of such patients.”

The dispute highlights a growing row over bed blocking, which is rapidly leaping up the political agenda.

Audit Commission inspectors recently awarded Birmingham a ‘red flag’ for failing to address an unacceptably high number of delayed hospital discharges.

The Comprehensive Area Assessment (CAA) found that 150 patients were blocking beds in city hospitals.

The red flag, denoting poor performance, seemed to suggest that Birmingham might be slipping back eight years when more than 300 mainly elderly patients were marooned for weeks on end in city hospitals.

The then Labour-run city council was severely criticised by the Government and ordered to take action.

33 + named Children that have Died from Social Services Failures inc Haringey Baby P

This article date has been updated to prepare for new names that will be added to the list

Social services failures are so regular it is a daily occurance and children do die and they will continue dying because social workers, the police, the government and people like the NSPCC do not listen and are often part of the failures despite having millions of pounds to protect children.

These are just a few of social services failures that have ended up in the death of young children.

Number of children who have died in Birmingham social services care rises to 19

BIRMINGHAM CITY COUNCIL bosses have admitted 19 children have died of abuse or neglect in Birmingham in the past five years – with 16 known to social workers.

A further three youngsters suffered ‘serious injury that could have resulted in death’.

Previously Birmingham City Council had only admitted to 15 child deaths since 2004 but it issued the grim new figures after an investigation by a local newspaper

The shock news comes days after its child protection services were officially branded “not fit for purpose” in a council scrutiny report.

The inquiry was prompted after the department was labelled inadequate by Ofsted inspectors last December.

The sad new statistics show that the council, Britain’s biggest local authority, has initiated 22 Serious Case Reviews (SCR) since January 2004. Eighteen related to deaths, including two siblings who died between 2006/07.

A council spokesman confirmed that of the 19 deaths a staggering 16 were known to social workers and in some cases other agencies including West Midlands Police, local health trusts and probation.

The other three children out of the 22 cases did not die but suffered serious injury.

The shocking death toll means Birmingham City Council has by far the worst ever record for suspicious child deaths in the country.

The authority was put in special measures by the Government in January. It was one of only four authorities – including Doncaster and Haringey where Baby P died – to be judged to have inadequate children’s services last year by Ofsted.

Doncaster has had seven child deaths in the past five years. A Government team is now running its child protection services while Birmingham has been given until February to improve or face its department being taken over.

Tony Howell, Strategic Director for Children Young People and Families, is at the helm of the shamed child protection service and earns between £138,000 and £153,000 a year.

Joke Of The Month!

Q: How many Social Workers does it take to change a light bulb?

A: Ten. (One to call an electrician and nine to turn a blind eye to the affair)!

Joke of the month

Q: What's the difference between a social worker and a photo of a social worker in the window?

A: One is a pain in the arse, the other is an arse in the pane!