Plea to fund more social workers

Leeds City Council has carried out a review of child protection cases

More money should be spent on children's social workers in Leeds, a council watchdog has advised.

The call came in an interim report of a year-long investigation into children's services at Leeds City Council after a critical Ofsted review.

Ofted published its findings in August saying services were "poor".

The board said it published the report at this time to try to "influence the council's spending decisions" as early as possible.

The council's budget decisions for the next financial year are usually finalised in February.

Councillor Bill Hyde, chair of the Children's Services Scrutiny Board, said: "We felt that children's social care staffing was such an important issue that it was crucial we were in a position to guide and influence the council's spending decisions in this area as early as possible."

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