LIVERPOOL health leaders have used special powers under the Children’s Act to launch a review of the Careline service.

They say they want to see first-hand how the service is being run following a number of high-profile criticisms of the way it is “failing” vulnerable youngsters and adults.

Council executive member for health, Cllr Ron Gould, visited the city centre call centre to meet with staff and have a “robust dialogue” about the day-to-day operations of the service.

The move follows a meeting of the health, care and safeguarding select committee on Thursday, which requested LDL, the BT-backed company running the service, provide full information about call waiting times, response times and the effective use of staff.

The committee decided a review of the system was necessary “to ensure and enable LDL is producing the required level of reporting in relation to children’s services”.

One of the actions the select committee has decided to take is to look at “the possible transfer of services out of Careline”.

Health bosses will continue to meet with LDL to draw up the proposals by the end of June.

Cllr Gould said it was his aim to see for himself that the service was being run effectively, and whether concerns raised about working conditions for social workers needed further investigation.

He said: “We are here to find out whether they are doing the job they are supposed to do.

“Are they getting proper breaks, are they being used to answer the right calls?

“I’ve come here to see if those concerns are true.”