'Long way to go' for county's child protection service
Improvements are being made in West Sussex County Council's child protection service - which has been strongly criticised by the Ombudsman - but there is 'still a long way to go,' a County Hall meeting was told.
Members of the children and young people's services select committee heard that a shortage of social workers meant having to 'juggle' with staff resources.
The Ombudsman found the county council was guilty of maladministration with injustice after a 12-year-old was left with no schooling for nearly two years.
The child was temporarily excluded from school in 2004, and apart from a short period in a pupil referral unit did not return until September, 2006.
For full story see West Sussex Gazette March 18