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Shannon 'was taken off risk register' despite warnings
SHANNON Matthews was taken off the child protection register on the orders of social services' managers despite warnings from social workers, it has been claimed.
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The social services department at Kirklees Council in West Yorkshire was under pressure from government targets to reduce the number of children on the register, according to reports.
Sources the watchdog Ofsted had decided the council had a high level of children on its child protection register and wanted it to reduce the length of time "children remain the subject of a child protection plan".
These claims came just hours after the authority announced it was commissioning an independent Serious Case Review into the contacts all agencies had with Shannon's family in Dewsbury, including social services, before she vanished in February.
This announcement was made after mounting pressure for a review into whether anything could have been done to help the little girl, who is now 10, before she was kidnapped by her own mother, Karen Matthews.
A newspaper reported that unnamed social workers at Kirklees had warned that Shannon faced dangers but were overruled by their managers.
It said the social worker involved was put under "massive pressure" to remove her from the register because "there were other priorities to focus".
Children's Secretary Ed Balls welcomed the decision to launch an independent Serious Case Review.
Mr Balls said: "It is important we know exactly what went on, so that if there are lessons that need to be learnt and changes that need to happen, they can happen and they will."
He said he was glad "justice has been done" and that Shannon and her siblings were now safe.
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Weather for Yorkshire
Saturday 26 May 2012
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Temperature: 9 C to 21 C
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