ALARM OVER CALLS SERVICE; Government probes council Careline rates.

Byline: DAVID BARTLETT 

GOVERNMENT Ministers have intervened in a storm over the "high level" of unanswered calls at a Liverpool Council child helpline.

Children's Minister Beverley Hughes said she was "alarmed" by the situation at Careline and has asked the Government Office for the North West (GONW) to look into the matter.

Care Services Minister Phil Pope has also intervened and written to council chief executive Colin Hilton and asked him to investigate as a matter of urgency.

In March a Freedom of Information request revealed on average each month up to 2,500 calls about adults and 1,000 about children were going unanswered.

It equated to about 25% of calls about children being abandoned, although the council says up to 90% are now answered.

In a letter to Wavertree MP Jane Kennedy, Ms Hughes said: "I am news/ ECHO alarmed by the apparent high level of abandoned calls revealed after a Freedom of Information request.

"I am worried that callers wishing to report their concerns about the safety or welfare of a child may be unable to do so.

"I have asked immediately that officials from the Government Office for the North West urgently seek an explanation from Liverpool City Council and provide me the assurance that anyone with concerns about the safety of a child is able, easily, to report their concerns to the local authority's social care, and that calls will be answered in a timely way." Last week it emerged that a copy of the contract agreed with BT-backed 67800 firm LDL shows the "service level agreement" - the target which Careline had to meet - was to answer 80% of calls.

The news outraged MPs, city opposition leaders and union representatives, who said anything less than a 100% target is unacceptable.

On Monday council health boss Cllr Ron Gould used special powers under the Children's Act to launch a review of Careline and visit the call centre.

A council spokesman said: "We gave the minister a full report on the improvements we are making to Careline three weeks ago and, as there has been no response, we presume the government is satisfied with the progress being made.

"Careline is a vital service and it is our top priority is to largely eradicate abandoned calls which occur at peak times.

"The improvement plan we have put in place, including the recruitment of 40 extra staff, is already reducing the number of lost calls and there will be further improvements in the high levels of quality advice and support we provide. This week, more than 90% of calls have been answered and waiting times continue to be cut."