Ministers ‘do not have a plan b for protecting children’

THERE is "no plan B" for protecting vulnerable children to replace the system which failed Baby P in Haringey, ministers admitted today.

Children's Secretary Ed Balls announced moves to make local social and health services more accountable for keeping young people safe.

He said councils would establish Children's Trust Boards of doctors, police, social workers and teachers. The boards will be legally responsible for children's policy in their areas.

But Mr Balls conceded that Haringey already had such a system and admitted his scheme would not have saved 17-month-old Baby P. He said: "We are not succeeding in protecting children as well as we would like."

Children's minister Beverley Hughes added: "We haven't got any feasible alternative plan B for making these local arrangements the way in which we protect our children and young people."