Shocking allegations of dishonesty and neglect have been levelled at social workers in Dudley during an emotional council committee meeting focused on child protection.
Emotional testimony reveals systemic failures
Members of Dudley Council's Social Care and Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee heard a hard-hitting account from a community representative on December 3, 2025. Kevin Cherrington, chairman of the Wollaston Farm Tenants and Residents Association (TRA), spoke on behalf of local families, accusing social workers of lying and ignoring crucial information.
"I have been lied to, I have been told they are not at work," Mr Cherrington told the committee. He detailed instances where he had emailed specific information to protect a child, only to receive a generic response indicating the social worker had not even read his message. "I didn't ask for any information, I passed on information to protect a child," he stated.
Mr Cherrington, who has worked with council departments for over 30 years, expressed frustration that despite complaints being upheld, the same problems kept recurring. He argued he often got clearer answers from frontline staff rather than "some guff from a manager".
Staffing crisis at the heart of the problem
The community leader pinpointed a chronic staffing crisis as the core issue plaguing Dudley's children's services for the past decade. He claimed the borough acts as a training ground, after which newly qualified social workers leave for neighbouring authorities offering lighter workloads and higher pay.
"People come to Dudley, get the training and then leave straight away to surrounding boroughs," Mr Cherrington asserted. He remained sceptical of official assurances, suggesting staff would not admit their plans to leave to senior management.
Council response and Ofsted context
In response, Dudley's cabinet member for children, Councillor Wayne Little, emphasised the council's desire to create a workplace where staff "feel recognised and rewarded". John Macilwraith, the director of children's services, stated his commitment to recruiting and retaining the best staff but declined to discuss specific cases publicly.
The revelations come in the context of a recent Ofsted report which noted that Dudley was hiring more staff and that workloads, while still high, were reducing. Cllr Little welcomed the report's recognition of the "incredible dedication" of officers and strong political support, but acknowledged "there is still more to do".
Following the heated session, officers and councillors agreed to meet privately with Mr Cherrington to address his specific concerns in detail.
