Baby abuse death,reveiw ordered.

[mr sheen]

I have spent much of the last ten years working closely with Child Protection professionals and, like every other profession, there are people in it who aren't good enough. And, like all public services jobs in London, the problems of getting trained, experienced staff, for that money mean that these tragic situations are more likely to arise there than anywhere else in the country.

 

[glasfryn]

OOh, but formal "disciplinairy letters" have been given to the social workers who failed to protect this child. They couldn't go any further than that though apparently, because of a "lack of evidence". I'd have thought a battered dead toddler laying in a morgue would have been evidence enough, but hey.

Still, we can all rest assured that "LESSONS WILL BE LEARNED".
Just like last time.

and the time before that
and the time before that
and the time before that
and the time before that
and the time before that
just how many times are we going to allow this to happen social workers are there to protect children ....but doing it by the book does not work you have to have the nous to know when to step in not go back to the office and have a f***ing conference about it

 

[Stat Brother]

I just cannot fathom how this "lack of evidence" defence stacks up though.
You've got the childs bloodstained clothes, a missing fingertip, a torn earlobe, a dent in the head, missing fingernails, multiple bruising. And now a corpse.

There was obviously enough evidence to place the child on the "at risk" register. So whats the point of doing that, if social workers don't act on it ? If it was a RESOURCING issue (eg they could only get round to visit that family once a month for example), then as unsatisfactory as that would be, it would at least provide some kind of reason for it going on for so long. But they were visiting as often as twice a week - and STILL didn't pick up on this !

What more evidence do they need ??

No one needs me to tell you the whole thing stinks.
As it was being reported I was reading reports on sibling children.
As harrowing as it was, believe me I've read far worse, I was left feeling 'they seem to have gotten off lightly'.
The striking thing from these reports is the amount of different professionals involved, this slows the whole process and 'general' things are easily missed. So it's no surprise that occasionally a big bollock is dropped.

As an aside.
I went on to watch, Spot The Mentalist, on BBC2 @ 9 last night.
1 women with undisclosed 'issues' completely fooled 3 physcatrists (sp) into thinking she was 'normal'. Assuming she has children would her 'issue' stop her from being a good parent?

 

[Stat Brother]

Do you know how many children are on the 'At Risk Register' verses the amount of 'coal face' Social Workers.

Social Work, in Sweden is in the top 10 (I think) of best paid jobs.
Here it's deemed to be the 5/6th career choice (when you've f**ked up everything else).

Cameron would stick the boot in over this, it's Daily Mail gold, and as much as it pains me to say it, he doesn't seem to have a creditable answer for the ecomony.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

I have no idea how long the person in charge of Haringey Social Services has been in that job. Perhaps if she started there a week ago then you could make a case for her predecessor being ultimately responsible. However - the person in charge of Haringey Social Services has a responsibility to be up to speed with their staff and the cases they are dealing with. If she wasn't, then she's failed and should go.

Hold on.

The person in charge of Haringey Council's Children's Services Department also has the Education service to run. Should she be "up to speed" with every teacher in the borough and every lesson that goes on in every school?

If only things were so simple ...

 

[Easy 10]

Hold on.

The person in charge of Haringey Council's Children's Services Department also has the Education service to run. Should she be "up to speed" with every teacher in the borough and every lesson that goes on in every school?

If only things were so simple ...

No, but I'd expect her to know whats going on with the children who are "at risk" within her borough.

 

[Leekbrookgull]

The inescapable fact is why did know one not think anything was wrong ? So the toddler was covered in chocolate,then wipe it off ! Get the parent to do it,it is what you are paid to do. Sure the work load may be heavy but the kid was at RISK and they knew it.

 

[London Calling]

Hold on.

The person in charge of Haringey Council's Children's Services Department also has the Education service to run. Should she be "up to speed" with every teacher in the borough and every lesson that goes on in every school?

If only things were so simple ...

Basically as part of the reorganisation of Haringey's Departments which was primarily based on cost cutting and not service delivery.

The Council should have maintained two separate DepARTMENT HEADS.

Education is a big enough portfolio, taking up half the budget of most metroplitan, london borough budgets.

AS I pointed out earlier on Haringey. The Chief Finance Officer who forced through large cuts on Haringey SS before the Climbie case, refused to attend the inquiry.

Guess where he is now?

The Chief Executive the man in charge of Haringey.

 

[Leekbrookgull]

London,you make some good points about costs. However would you agree councils up and down the U/K have an excellent record on wasting money often at the exspense of front line services.

 

[London Calling]

Basically as part of the reorganisation of Haringey's Departments which was primarily based on cost cutting and not service delivery.

The Council should have maintained two separate DepARTMENT HEADS.

Education is a big enough portfolio, taking up half the budget of most metroplitan, london borough budgets.

AS I pointed out earlier on Haringey. The Chief Finance Officer who forced through large cuts on Haringey SS before the Climbie case, refused to attend the inquiry.

Guess where he move to?

The Chief Executive the man in charge of Haringey.

I remember this

The chief executive of Haringey council has been `invited` to attend the Victoria Climbie inquiry to explain why the council has not submitted all documents relevant to the case.

David Warwick should appear before the inquiry on Tuesday morning following the revelation that more documents are still missing. If he fails to attend a summons could be issued requiring him to give evidence.


He never attended.

 

[London Calling]

London,you make some good points about costs. However would you agree councils up and down the U/K have an excellent record on wasting money often at the exspense of front line services.

Always a hard one. I have work directly and indirectly for public services as well as some similar size private organisations.

There is not much difference in their efficiency, obviously, local government has more bureaucracy but that is directly related to their accountability and scrutiny.

I worked 3 years at Haringey the worst 3 of my life.

It had just made 40% of the staff redundant and whilst I was there there were further staff cuts, the problem always being, they won't cut a service but push for, early retirements. Leading to lost of skills. Or merging posts. So one office has to do the previous job of two people, often with less efficiency. Three get rid of admin and support, leaving some relatively highly paid officer doing absolutely everything instead of focusiing on say their case.

Local Government is in a mess after three decades of cuts.

Another general round is going on now.

I would suggest councils need to start with a clean slate and develop accordingly and not trying to fir square pegs in round holes.

 

[London Calling]

The position of Sharon Shoesmith, head of Haringey children’s services, looked increasingly untenable after the Government listed a series of faults in her team’s handling of the Baby P case.

On Tuesday she said that no one should lose their job at the authority – which was also severely criticised over the death of Victoria Climbié eight years ago – because staff had carried out their duties effectively.

In a further blow to Ms Shoesmith’s authority, John Coughlan, director of children’s services in Hampshire, will move into Ms Shoesmith’s office from today to oversee her work.

Last night, Ms Shoesmith declined to comment on her position, or the Government’s action. Instead Liz Santry, the Haringey councillor with responsibility for children, issued a statement welcoming the government plan and announcing that a leading lawyer would be appointed to conduct an internal review.

Mr Balls said yesterday that the serious case review, commissioned by the council in the aftermath of Baby P’s death and which Ms Shoesmith claimed on Tuesday had exonerated her staff, had shown that agencies in Haringey had “singly and collectively failed to adhere to the procedures for the proper management of child protection cases”. There was evidence of “poor quality practice, management and supervision of staff”.

Ministers are also exploring whether to use powers that allow them to replace the entire senior management at the children’s services department, depending on the outcome of the investigation. “The case of Baby P is tragic and appalling. It is our duty to take whatever action is needed to ensure that such a tragedy doesn’t happen again, that lessons are learnt and that children in Haringey are safe,” Mr Balls said.

According to the Government’s interpretation of events, a decision was taken early on by social workers that Baby P was being neglected, not abused. At no point did senior managers challenge their judgment or ask if there was more to it, according to Bev-erley Hughes, the Children’s Minister.

Although no one in Government has called for resignations, local political leaders weighed in. Lynne Feather-stone, MP for Hornsey and Wood Green, said that Ms Shoesmith had to go. “This is a stark admission that the top brass running children’s services in Haringey are not up to the job. Our children’s service cannot wait for these people to be mentored. They must go,” she said.

Documents leaked by opposition councillors in Haringey showed that Ms Shoesmith refused to review the work of social services six months after the death of Baby P in August last year.

 

[Leekbrookgull]

Just mentioned on the radio the mother (if you can call her that ?) is pregnant !

 

[El Presidente]

Two kids have just been found stabbed to death here in Manchester. Prime suspect is their 21 year old mother.

 

[mr sheen]

There's some evil, sick, twisted bastards in this world. Thats been a constant since human life started, and I suspect will be til it ends.

 

[Buzzer]

Two kids have just been found stabbed to death here in Manchester. Prime suspect is their 21 year old mother.

Let's not jump to conclusions here. The mother has been detained under the mental health act. I have n idea what happened but could well understand a hypothetical situation of a single mother trapped into a bedsit of one room with 2 very young children. Father absent, her broke, perhaps depressed. No reason at all for social services to have them on their radar yet the mother killing out of desparation and mental illness.

As someone else said, this is life in modern Britain. I'm a cynic and it makes me weep at times.

 

[Curious Orange]

OOh, but formal "disciplinairy letters" have been given to the social workers who failed to protect this child. They couldn't go any further than that though apparently, because of a "lack of evidence". I'd have thought a battered dead toddler laying in a morgue would have been evidence enough, but hey.

Still, we can all rest assured that "LESSONS WILL BE LEARNED".
Just like last time.

Its okay though, because there is going to be a database with every child's name in the country on it (apart from politicians of course)... and that'll make everything okay, apparently.

 

[DJ Leon]

Two kids have just been found stabbed to death here in Manchester. Prime suspect is their 21 year old mother.

I blame the police. Where were they?

Why don't we focus our ire at those that perpertrated this hideous crime? Not to say that there shouldn't be a full inquiry into what could have been done to stop this happening, but we should remember we wouldn't have been having this argument if the child was not murdered.

 

[London Calling]

I blame the police. Where were they?

Why don't we focus our ire at those that perpertrated this hideous crime? Not to say that there shouldn't be a full inquiry into what could have been done to stop this happening, but we should remember we wouldn't have been having this argument if the child was not murdered.

It is getting the balance, Social Services are not the murderers, torturers etc.

But it is only our children that society would leave with the people who are handling out the violence, we as society only accept that, that guardians of the children, our Social Services, work to mitigate and stop that violence.

If the violence perpetuates - than that child must be removed.

 

[Easy 10]

Its okay though, because there is going to be a database with every child's name in the country on it (apart from politicians of course)... and that'll make everything okay, apparently.

Course it will.
Till they lose all the data on the 3.40 from Paddington.







Ooooh, I've come over all CYNICAL all of a sudden, havn't I.