A significant number of at-risk children in Birmingham have not been allocated a qualified social worker, it has been revealed.
Community Care reports that a quarter of children in need of social service care are going without.
"It's absolutely criminal. You just can't have cases unallocated like that," Philip Measures, a retired frontline children's social worker and manager who uncovered the information, told the news provider.
"The local authority is supposed to be the corporate parent and yet no one is accepting responsibility."
A spokesperson from Birmingham City Council explained that when a child had no been allocated a qualified social worker they would become the responsibility of a social work assistant.
However, according to the Department for Education, such practice is illegal.
The news may lead to an increase in the number of social service workers being employed by the local authority.
Under government guidelines anybody wanting to work with children or vulnerable adults must first be subject to and pass a Criminal Records Bureau (
CRB) check.
Capita RVS -
CRB checks and pre-employment vetting services.
