THE findings today of the Audit Commission's review of Social Services in Lancashire could hardly be more damning or, indeed, alarming. For we learn that the review team found that 13 children on the at-risk register had not even had a social worker allocated to them and that, often, social workers do not intervene in cases until they reach crisis point.

Yet, if this is disturbing in itself, what is truly outrageous is that this dangerous situation still prevailed after failures in the system were harrowingly highlighted by the killing by their parents of East Lancashire babies Levi Rose and Jack Shackleton after their families had come to the attention of Social Services.

Clearly, lessons have not been learned.

Indeed, the review even suggests this damned department actually rejects criticism and resists change because of its persistent failure to respond to past inspection reports.

And that oblivious attitude is apparently being maintained even now.

Amazingly, Social Services chairman, County Councillor Miss Doreen Pollitt, speaks of the report being "overly harsh" and of its approach being "negative."

But how can she maintain this - when we also learn that other care agencies had also expressed concerns about the handling of child protection cases?

Or when the report criticised the high numbers of children - and old people - put into institutional care when it believed more youngsters should be in foster care? The practice seems to be one of binning and blundering - and then turning a blind eye to failure and a deaf ear to concern.

In fact, this report points to just such a culture of defensiveness and distrust in Lancashire Social Services.

That is something this newspaper experienced at the time that refugees from Kosovo were coming to East Lancashire - when the County's department tried to put a blanket of secrecy over their arrival at Calderstones Hospital in Whalley and, by stark contrast, Social Services chiefs at independent Blackburn with Darwen went out of their way to inform the press and the public about the refugees arriving in their area.

And, typically, we find the County Council bosses and councillors huddled in private today to discuss this latest censure.

But this business cannot be swept under the carpet, nor dealt with by more waffle or heedlessness.

Since Lancashire has one of the largest Social Services budgets in the country, the blame cannot be put on lack of resources.

The fault clearly lies with bad and stubborn management which must be replaced by one prepared to learn the lessons of this report and make the sweeping changes that are needed - starting with the resignation of Miss Pollitt and the departure of Social Services director Pauline Oliver.

Nothing less will do.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.