Nickie Aiken, MP for the Two Cities, made the case for local intervention with children's services following the shocking case of Arthur Labinjo-Hughes.
As a former cabinet member at Westminster City Council for children’s services, Nickie believes that protecting our children comes from local accountability.
In the Chamber with the Education Secretary, Nadhim Zahawi MP, and following the appalling case of Arthur, Nickie highlighted the need for the Department for Education to work with the Local Government Association and organisations within local government to ensure councillors, whether they be lead members or council leaders, truly understand the integral role they play to protect our children.
Speaking in the Chamber, Nickie said,
"Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. I have never met a social worker who does not go to work every day to make a difference to the people they serve. And I do fear that we don't, in this nation, always hold social workers in the high regard that we do with teachers, police officers, nurses, doctors. And I think that needs to change.
"As a former cabinet member for children's services, I believe fully that it is about local accountability and that local councillors, whether it's the lead member, whether it's the leader of the council, has a role to play in keeping children safe. It's not just about the director of children's services and the social workers.
"Does my Right Honourable Friend agree with me that it's probably about time that the Department of Education works with the Local Government Association and other organisations within local government to ensure that Cabinet Members and Council Leaders really appreciate the role they have to play in keeping our children safe?"
Education Secretary, Nadhim Zahawi MP replied,
"I thank my Honourable Friend for her excellent question and I touched on on it a little bit earlier. I think she's absolutely right to say where I have seen really good evidence of high performing children's services is when the chief executive, the lead member, are working and supporting the director of children's services and the frontline and really understand how the system is working in their locality.
"So I can certainly reassure her that both myself and the Minister for Children and Families will leave no stone unturned in the work that we do with local government on this."
