Six social workers have been sacked by Birmingham City Council following a catalogue of failings in the children’s services department.
The employees had shown ‘no sign whatsoever’ of adhering to expected standards, according to director Colin Tucker, who was brought in after Ofsted lambasted the running of the department.
Eight children on social services’ books have died in the city in three years, including seven-year-old Khyra Ishaq, whose mother was sentenced last week to 15 years for starving her daughter to death in 2008. Further sackings could result from a serious case review into the death.
Mr Tucker said the sackings represented a new culture within the department. ‘There is a clear indication we are serious about our standards,’ he told the BBC.
‘They did not adhere to standards and expectations that we laid down. They showed no sign whatsoever that they were keen to do so, so we dismissed them.’
He said about 120 vacant posts had been filled by agency staff, but he hoped to recruit more permanent workers and reduce agency staff to between 40 and 50.
