REDBRIDGE: Social workers' caseloads improve, figures show (From East London and West Essex Guardian Series)

REDBRIDGE: Social workers' caseloads improve, figures show

10:32am Friday 3rd September 2010 in Your Local Areas By Ryan McCarthy

WORK to support children in the borough deemed at risk is improving, according to council figures.

The average social worker caseload in the borough has dropped from 18 cases from December last year, to 14 cases according to latest figures up to June 30.

On Tuesday, September 7, an annual report on Children's Safeguarding will go before the council's cabinet.

The report shows that the number of referrals to the social care team has risen steadily, from 551 in October to 835 in March 2010, a 52 per cent increase over that period.

However, the council points to an increase in staffing levels helping to enable the Child Protection and Assessment service to operate without a backlog.

The proportion of initial assessments completed within timescales has improved to 76 per cent from an end of year figure of 61 per cent.

Last July the Guardian reported how the authority was stumping up £400,000 to pay for new social workers.

It followed a rise in the number of children in care, or subject to a child protection plan, something the council attributed to a growing population and heightened public awareness of abuse following the Baby P tragedy.