Senator Ian Gorst said progress was being made on implementing the eight core recommendations of the Independent Jersey Care Inquiry but admitted the provisions for the Island’s young people were ‘not where I want them to be’ – yet.
Speaking at a Children in Care Scrutiny Panel hearing yesterday, the Chief Minister said that it would be ‘most unlikely’ that all aspects of the Island’s services would meet Ofsted requirements but that the inspection would be a ‘learning opportunity’ for further improvements.
Ofsted has been called in to inspect children’s social work services following concerns about the standard of care in the Island raised by both the inquiry and the new Children’s Commissioner, Deborah McMillan.
The Ofsted review will focus on services provided to children in the care of the States and the ways in which children are referred to the service.
Senator Gorst said: ‘I think it is important that this inspection – which I have said is going to be very difficult and most unlikely if we were to pass that inspection – gives us a learning opportunity.
‘On the one hand there will be an element of tickbox to it but they are aware that in order to help improve our service they need to be thinking not just about ticking boxes but making recommendations as well.’
He added that he expected the report to be completed in September.
Earlier this year responsibility for Children’s Services was handed over to States chief executive Charlie Parker following concerns that the changes to the service were not being made quickly enough.
One of the key concerns raised by the Children’s Commissioner has been the turnover and retention of social workers. Susan Devlin, managing director of Children’s Services, said social workers were being recruited and some of the vacant or interim positions were being filled.
Senator Gorst admitted that when Children’s Services was exclusively in the Health Department portfolio it had been difficult to ensure funding reached it due to the number of other important areas within the department that needed money. He added that creating a more fluid system of government, whereby the Education Department can take on more of the responsibility for Children Services, would help improve the situation.
He said: ‘Putting Children’s Services with medical services – you can understand why that happened because of the heavy need for social workers.
‘But we know that a lot of the money went to the Hospital and little to social services and probably even less then went to Children’s Services.
‘We are saying Education, as a service, has contact with every child. It makes more sense to put Children’s Services there. We are trying to connect things where they are currently disconnected.’
Deputy Sam Mézec chaired the panel and was joined by Senator Sarah Ferguson and Deputies Tracey Vallois and Mike Higgins.
