Part of 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 2:08 pm on 7 June 2022.
First Minister, we saw a massive rise in the number of children on a protection register even before the pandemic, so Lord only knows what the situation is truly like now. Because we know that social services are under tremendous strain, short staffed and overworked, we simply don't know what's being missed or who's being missed. We do know that children's social care in Wales is in crisis. Those are not my words, but the words of Professor Donald Forrester, director of CASCADE and an expert in the field. He and many other colleagues, alongside us in the Chamber, are calling for an urgent review of children's social services. So, First Minister, will you now listen to the advice and heed the calls for a full independent review of children's social care in Wales, just like every other nation is doing? England, Scotland and Northern Ireland are all doing it. Because we can't keep burying our heads in the sand and doing nothing until another child dies of abuse or neglect. Thank you.