Legal News

A senior councillor at Wrexham Council has been sacked after he made allegations about the council’s child protection unit.

The council’s lead member for finance, Malcolm King, was dismissed after raising concerns about staffing levels and the number of cases being handled by Wrexham Council's child and family assessment team, BBC Wales reports.

Mr King was also responsible for the council’s policy and governance before his dismissal. He had made 16 allegations about the council’s child and family assessment team, which related to the pressures that social workers were under at the council.

However, Council Leader Neil Rogers said there was “little or no evidence” to support Mr King’s allegations, adding that such criticism could damage staff morale, having “a negative impact on staff”.

In a statement, Mr Rogers said:

“Sixteen serious allegations were made last year – and an independent investigation was undertaken.

“That investigation concluded that there was little or no credible evidence to support the number of allegations made about the children and family assessment team.

“I am concerned that these allegations are having a negative impact on our staff.

“Under the constitutional arrangements of the council, I allocate lead member responsibilities and have therefore taken the decision to remove the portfolio as lead member for policy, finance, performance and governance from Councillor King.”

Mr King will continue in his role as a local councillor in Wrexham.

He told BBC Wales that he had no way of knowing whether the allegations he had made were true or not – but added there was “no way” he could just “sit on them” without taking some action.

“We have a whistle blowing policy in the council, which is to give support to people who want to bring their concerns forward.

“And, of course, child protection is arguably the most important thing that we do as a council.

“So to just sit on that – do nothing about it – would be dangerously complacent,” said Mr King.

In October 2012, two child protection officers at Wrexham were found guilty of misconduct by the Care Council for Wales, after child protection referral forms known as CID16s were destroyed between January 2009 and February 2010, before the system was computerised.

One social worker found guilty of 10 charges and removed from the social work register claimed she had been “made a scapegoat”. Her colleague had an admonishment placed on her record for six months.

Both social workers had been employed Wrexham's Children and Families Assessment Team (Cafat).

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