AM calls for urgent talks on child protection in Port Talbot (WALES)
ABERAVON AM David Rees has called for an urgent meeting with Neath Port Talbot Council leader Ali Thomas and chief executive Steve Phillips following the publication of a highly critical report on children’s services by Care and Social Services Inspectorate Wales.
The report highlights serious concerns in a number of areas that were identified in an inspection carried out in September, in a follow-up to inspections made in 2010 and 2011.
While acknowledging that improvements had been made in some areas, the latest report concludes that “a number of factors pose significant risk in ensuring the safety and welfare of children” in Neath Port Talbot.
These include high staff turnover in children’s services, with many managers lacking experience, issues surrounding staff training and supervision, caseloads that are too high, poor initial assessments of children and poor recordkeeping, and failure to meet statutory requirements.
Read more: Port Talbot Magnet, 19 November 2012