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Second report blasts foster care service
County Hall bosses today said children were not in any danger, despite a second damning report into Lancashire's fostering services.
But Lancashire County Council admitted the services had " not moved on" after the OFSTED Joint Area Review (JAR), completed in May, described services for children being looked after as "inadequate".
Two council officers quit their jobs ahead of the publication of the report today.
Gill Rigg, director of children's integrated services, and Sue Fadipe, head of central services, left last week.But the council today refused to confirm whether the two were connected.
The report comes just months after fostering services were criticised in a November 2007 inspection. Council chiefs said the criticism relates to "processes and systems" rather than suggesting any children were in danger.
Council leader Coun Hazel Harding told the Evening Post: "This inspection was in May and you are right, it has not moved on as I think we would have wanted it to. That is to be regretted."
Helen Denton, the executive director for children and young people at LCC, said examples of processes and systems not followed include risk assessment on foster carers' homes that have not been signed off properly, or where carers sanctioned to provide care for children aged up to eight, were not re-approved when the child hit nine.
County Coun Harding added: "We do need to plan better because others have managed to do this."
Commenting on the resignations of the two social service bosses, Ms Denton said: "We just reached a point at which people determined they would move on."
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Weather for Preston
Wednesday 08 February 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: -4 C to 2 C
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