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Child Protection

I thank the hon. Gentleman for his kindness, but I am extremely concerned when he throws around words such as ““bureaucracy”” and ““paperwork”” as if they are not important. Of course social workers have to spend time with families, but recording the information that they gain from that contact is enormously important, and even more so when there are staffing difficulties. Without that accurate record—of a child's weight or behaviour, for example—it is not possible to reflect over time. Social workers can go to court and present evidence only on that basis, so the hon. Gentleman should be a little careful about how he talks about paperwork.