Search: Council teenager inquiry
Three social workers and managers have been suspended after a series of errors led to a disturbed teenager being placed with a family with young children he went on to sexually abuse, an inquiry has revealed.
The 19-year-old was jailed indefinitely in February after he admitted the rape and sexual assault of the two young children.
An urgent inquiry was launched and the resulting report revealed mistakes were made by Vale of Glamorgan Council staff concentrating on the teenager's own vulnerability and not the risks he posed.
Philip Evans, Director of Social Services at the council, said he would not be resigning over the incident.
The teenager was placed with a family by the council's Adult Placement Service despite having a history of sexual behaviour involving children. But the inquiry found it was the Leaving Care Team who focused on the need for finding the teenager an emergency placement who failed by not passing on information about his background.
The report describes their actions as naive.
"Seen for the most part as a victim in many aspects of his life, he was considered to be the one in need of protection," the report said.
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"Because of this focus, much of the relevant information was not made available to the parents of the children and to some of the staff involved in making decisions about providing accommodation."
Mr Evans said: "We have suspended three members of staff - social workers and managers - and further disciplinary action will follow quickly now we have the inquiry report.
"Potentially the consequences to the staff are serious. As accountable professionals they are now open to external scrutiny by the Care Council for Wales and they can be removed from the register."
