The Report of the Safeguarding Vulnerable Children Review was published on the 3^rd May 2006. The review was set up to assess the progress of service delivery against policies and guidance and other initiatives taken by WAG in recent years. Relevant research and reports were also examined in the Review.

The review identifies some of the positive initiatives throughout Wales as well as focussing on the work that remains to be done. The following areas are highlighted in the report as those that need to be addressed:

• better planning of service delivery, accurate costing, realistic funding and improvement in logistics of implementation
• strengthened role for minister for children
• a children’s scrutiny committee with powers to examine issues affecting children is needed
• inconsistencies within and between systems and services affecting children
• needs to be consistency in level and quality of services for children across Wales
• mental health services for those who need them, including children who have been abused should be more available
• vulnerable children who are physically and emotionally abused need to be identified and responded to at an earlier stage

The recommendations made by the Review cover statutory and voluntary services for children and are set out as a number of challenges. These challenges include:

• to build on initiatives which place children at the centre of policy and service development which affect them
• to address the public’s confused and conflicting attitudes to children in our society
• to improve levels, stability, confidence, competency, support and job satisfaction of the workforce
• to develop and implement a secure long term integrated vision and strategy for consistent services for vulnerable children
• to review, evaluate and rationalise the balance of investment in services for children and to consolidate and stabilise funding streams
• to develop more effective capacity for identifying and responding to emerging risks to vulnerable children

A children and young people’s version of the report is also available.

Click here to visit the Assembly's webpage on the review.