Lord Warner Given Role By Government

The Government has appointed Lord Norman Warner as the first commissioner for children’s social care at Birmingham City Council, it has been announced.

Confirmed in a letter written by children and families minister Edward Timpson, the appointment has come about following an independent review into council-run services which led the minister to state he was “very concerned” about the safety of children in the city.

The move has been made following a number of high-profile cases of child abuse and neglect in the Birmingham area, with reviews into the deaths of Khyra Ishaq and Keanu Williams raising concerns regarding the handling of their cases.

According to reports, Lord Warner’s work will initially focus on the delivery of a report on the urgent actions needed by the council by May, as well as work on a long-term budget to improve children’s services.

In his letter on the matter, Edward Timpson concluded: “We need to work together to drive the changes which are vital to give the children and young people of Birmingham the safe and excellent service that they are entitled to."

Expert Opinion

News of this announcement is very positive and we hope that the decision to appoint a commissioner will lead to the improvements in social services in Birmingham which are clearly needed. <br/> <br/>"The only way the terrible problems of the past will not be repeated is by learning lessons and improving standards, so the actions of the new commissioner will rightly be under much scrutiny from the outset. <br/> <br/>"The safety and welfare of young people must be the ultimate priority and a system is needed which ensures the safeguarding of those who are at risk of neglect or abuse." Luke Daniels - Partner