Performance needed, not platitudes

Swansea Council spin-corps will no doubt be talking up the performance statistics reported in this week’s cabinet agenda but even they will be hard pressed to make a positive story out of the dismal picture provided of child and family services. The failure to meet key standards – where they were actually set – is depressing enough but it is understandable why direct intervention became necessary when you realise that the targets came out of a previous ‘improvement agreement’ between the local authority and Welsh Assembly Government.

The assurances from politicians is that a new social services cabinet member, a cross-party scrutiny group and a more ‘corporate’ management approach will bring about the necessary improvements. But there should be no sense of achievement within Swansea Council at these moves - especially when it is reported that as recently as April that 30% of children in need still do not have a designated social worker.