Bridgend Council’s Corporate Parenting Committee is set to receive an annual report this week from Independent Reviewing Officers (pdf).
Independent Reviewing Officers (IROs) are responsible for making sure children’s rights are observed during care reviews and to raise concerns where necessary.
In March 2021, there were 201 children on the Child Protection Register in Bridgend, with the number ranging between 170-218 during 2020-21 as a whole. The vast majority were on the register due to neglect or emotional abuse. 23 were on the register due to sexual abuse alone, or sexual abuse combined with another factor.
In Bridgend, there are currently four full-time and four part-time IROs. The report says the average caseload for IROs in Bridgend (up to 100 cases for full-time officers, 60-70 for part-time) is much higher than neighbouring authorities (40-70).
The good news is that the vast majority of case reviews and conferences were deemed to be in compliance (95-99%) and those that weren’t were largely down to the IROs not being told about outcomes or last-minute changes.
One particular note of concern is children not taking part in review meetings. Taking part in meetings is described as “hugely important” and “despite virtual platforms assisting in communication with children and young people, proportionately it is only a small number of children and young people who are attending their meetings.”
Changing this is seen as a priority with “the team committed to developing more creative ways of engaging with and encouraging participation of all children and young people” – except in instances where children taking part may be deemed inappropriate.
