Councillors have united to call for an formal role in helping to protect vulnerable children and young people.
It comes after Kirklees councillors found they have no full membership on a Children’s Safeguarding Board, yet would be expected to take responsibility if mistakes are made.
A motion, signed by each political party on Kirklees Council and backed unanimously by members, calls on Kirklees Chief Executive Adrian Lythgo to write to the government to urge changes.
Clr Kath Pinnock, Lib Dem, explained: “When things go wrong - and we hope that they don’t - quite rightly and understandably people look to elected representatives to take responsibility.
“How can we take full responsibility for a situation that we have little responsibility for?
“We are on the front line when things go wrong and in the back room when decisions are made.”
It comes after recent scandals in other authorities has seen calls for councillors to resign for failings in protecting young children.
Kirklees councillors say they should be eligible to be a full member of the Children’s Safeguarding Board.
Instead, membership of the board is made up of council workers and representatives of the police, voluntary sector, education and health services.
A councillor is allowed to attend board meetings as a participating observer, but they are not allowed to take part in any decision making.
The motion called on the Secretary of State for Education and the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Children and Families to make it possible for elected members to have full membership.
The motion adds that giving locally elected representatives full membership would reassure the public that all decisions made by the Board had been subject to the full challenge of locally elected representatives, improve the Board’s deliberations and decisions and deliver greater transparency and accountability for the public.
