A recent damning report showed that Waltham Forest had five children, in the care of the Council, missing!
This shocking report showed the Council’s failure to keep some of the most vulnerable children safe while they are in the legal care of the borough. This is nothing short of a disgrace.
Liberal Democrat Group Leader Councillor Bob Sullivan was shocked with the news and immediately contacted the Director responsible for the Borough’s children to find out what was being done. He was not impressed by the response. He has asked that an urgent report go to the Council’s Children’s committee showing the steps taken to find these children and whether systems and checks are in place to prevent a recurrence.
Bob Sullivan says:
“I am disgusted that it takes a report to find out that we are failing our children. Like all councillors we have a duty to the children in the Council’s care – as we would if they were our own children.”
“What is the Council doing? If my child went missing I would be worried sick and doing my utmost to find her.”
“Labour’s record for looking after children in care is bordering on negligence.”
Lib Dem Focus member Jerome Harvey-Agyei, who works for Barnardo’s dealing with young people in care, says:
“It is important to find the missing teenage children as they can quickly become the prey of unscrupulous people”.