Shortage of social workers 'is putting children at risk'

Children are being put at risk by a shortage of trained social workers, an official watchdog is set to warn.

A growing number of children being looked after by councils do not have named, qualified social workers allocated to their cases.

Instead they are in danger of slipping through the net as schools, health visitors and council staff struggle to monitor their welfare. Even some children on the child protection register, at high risk of abuse, are without designated social workers.

The warning will come from the Commission for Social Care Inspection as it issues star ratings for council social services departments in November. It comes a year to the day after the killing of Toni-Ann Byfield, seven, who was in the care of Birmingham social services, where staff shortages had left 40 at-risk children without allocated social workers.

Councils across England are struggling to recruit enough trained social workers.