AFTER reading the report in the Hereford Times, October 14, “Bombshell over failures”, I am deeply disturbed.

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There appears to be a culture of failure within our social services department, which looks to be continuing.

After the improvement notice in May due to the directorates conduct, I would have hoped that the desire to be transparent and honest would have been of importance to this department.

Social services without a focus on the needs of children, which should be paramount, is a failure.

It is a failure for those who govern it. This failure has been criticised and so it should be.

Those who see Diana Toynbee’s report as too critical are a part of the problem surely?

What part of failure do this service not yet understand?

I would be even more concerned if Cabinet member Toynbee’s report was not critical.

There has been a culture of high staff turnover within the service.

This should tell those who govern that there are issues within.

With the volume of staff leaving in the last 12 months, 164 employees, I am further alarmed.

Where is the continuity in this service. If a case worker leaves, how long is until another is appointed?

What happens to that child in the meantime?

My feeling is there needs to be a clear out of this service.  Those who do not see the failure of the department and those who do not want to see improvement.

There are too many cases where peoples positions are kept and the same old culture reigns.

Who is going to be brave enough to put the needs of the children as paramount?

Amelia Washbourne

Putson

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