The Welsh Conservatives have called for a nationwide review of children’s social care in Wales, the only UK nation without one.
The Party made the call in their first Senedd debate yesterday afternoon, in which Members referred to Bridgend Council’s treatment of 5-year-old Logan Mwangi, who was murdered in July 2021.
Closing the debate, Mr Isherwood said “the tragic case of Logan Mwangi, who was let down by so many agencies in Bridgend, should be a tipping point for children's services in Wales”.
He said:
“Despite all that was said, the Minister, our Deputy Minister for Social Services, Julie Morgan, remains of the view that now is not the time for an independent review, regardless of the overwhelming weight of evidence in support of an independent review.
“The pandemic has only exacerbated an existing situation, and the Safeguarding Review into Logan Mwangi's case outlined a number of recommendations aimed at Welsh Government, including that they consider commissioning a pan-Wales review of approaches to undertaking Child Protection Conferences…. However, the Deputy Minister for Social Care, Julie Morgan, refused in 2019 to commission a review on the rise in looked-after children in Wales, and her mission to reduce high numbers through setting local authority targets without sound measures underpinning these targets has sadly come to fruition, because we haven't had an independent review to establish the root causes.
“Of course, this isn't just about Bridgend or about a local authority failing to intervene. For example, I have casework involving neurodiverse parents in Flintshire, who wrote to every County Councillor with evidence that wasn't included in the documents presented to a Judge in family proceedings regarding their children by the Council, in consequence of which their children were taken into care and remain undiagnosed, untreated and unsupported for apparent Autism, PDA (Pathological Demand Avoidance) and ADHD. And none of the Councillors responded because they were told not to or asked not to by the Council's legal team, despite the vital role they're supposed to play in challenging Council Officers and holding them to account when presented with such evidence.
“Well, the tragic case of Logan Mwangi, who was let down by so many agencies in Bridgend, should be a tipping point for children's services in Wales. One legacy of this bright, bubbly boy must be that his horrendous murder should never be repeated. Although the Deputy Minister has pledged to accept the findings of the Review into Logan's death, this won't sufficiently investigate recurring failures and provide clear solutions to support Welsh children in the future. An independent review of children's social care will achieve this, and the children of Wales deserve our collective support. So, let us vote in favour of a full and frank independent review into children's care and social care in Wales.”