PLANS to develop a Corporate Parenting and Child Protection Panel have been approved by Darlington Borough Council's cabinet.
The panel is being established in response to recommendations made to all local authorities after Lord Laming's inquiry into the death of Victoria Climbie.
The eight-year-old died in February 2000 after suffering months of abuse by her great aunt and her aunt's lover.
Margaret Asquith, the council's director of social services, said the panel's objectives would include furthering corporate parenting responsibilities and increasing accountability to cabinet members and senior officers about child protection services.
The panel will meet quarterly and its responsibilities will involve examining the effectiveness of the district's child protection system.
It will also examine school attendance and educational attainment records in relation to children in the child protection system, and ensure equality of access for ethnic minority children, and children with disabilities.
Membership of the panel will include the authority's cabinet members for social services and education, and its directors of social services and education.
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