Morning:
8°c
Balls to await report before he takes action
Jack Lefley13 Nov 2008
CHILDREN'S Secretary Ed Balls today refused to say whether anyone at Haringey council should lose their jobs over the Baby P scandal.
He would not condemn head of children's services, Sharon Shoesmith, for failing to apologise for the toddler's death but said he would wait for the results of a new inquiry before deciding what action to take.
Mr Balls said: "I've sent in the national inspectors to do a report in the next two weeks on what's happened and what needs to be done.
"It's appalling what happened and I'm sure all of us are so sorry for what has happened to this poor little boy. But I'm not going to start commenting on what was said at a press conference by local government officials."
Speaking on the radio, Mr Balls added: "It's really hard to get the social workers, police and health service to work closely together for every child and see the world through the child's eyes.
"We put reforms in place around the country [after Victoria Climbié's death] and I've asked Lord Laming, with the Children's Minister, to see if they have been systematically implemented.
"But in Haringey there are some particular issues. We will now look in Haringey in detail in the next two weeks and decide whether we need to act."
He also criticised the Tory leader, David Cameron, for "errors" during exchanges at Prime Minister's questions and for trying to make the tragedy a "party political issue". Mr Balls said it was not right to "grandstand at Prime Minister's questions" and urged politicians to "get party politics out of child protection".
Reader views (5)
I doubt if Ballsie would have had an "independent" enquiry if its wasn't for the questions from David Cameron.
What a shower, Mc Broon never sounds forceful and it was great to see Cameron shoving his papers away, lets have more of the same please !
- Brian Hughes, Wales, 13/11/2008 16:37
Report abuse
Why the prevarication? Surely all of the failings at Haringey were identified by the investigation into the death of Victoria Climbie?
Sack the lot of them, today!
- Keith Lonsdale, Doncaster, 13/11/2008 15:49
Report abuse
"He would not condemn head of children's services, Sharon Shoesmith, for failing to apologise for the toddler's death"
Says it all really doesn't it?
After making a commment like that, does anyone really think much will get done or change ?
- Neil Grinsell, London, 13/11/2008 12:26
Report abuse
This tragic case again highlights the need to return to good old fashioned 'common sense'. There are far too many rules, regulations and guidelines, which effectively tie the hands of people who have to deal with such situations. No child SHOULD EVER be left in an abusive situation. Children are not only our future, they are a priviledge and should be cherished. We hear far too many stories of abuse by adults on defenceless children, where the abuser seems to have more rights than the abused. It is time now for big changes to head towards a Britain where decency prevails. I know it will take time and such abuse will never be totally stopped, but we should act quickly, never mind waiting months for this report and that comment, these children do not have the luxury of time. Can you imagine the life they lead, where every step towards them could be more abuse. Perhaps we should come down to earth and admit that we are living in a society which is getting more distasteful by the week, and have the courage to make drastic changes. Politicians acting like unruly schoolchildren in the House of Commons do nothing more than make their voters despair. We are in a crisis situation, the bombs raining on us don't have to be explosive, they are moral bombs that are exploding our Country. For the sake of all vulnerable people, young, old, sick and disabled, PLEASE PLEASE politicians WORK TOGETHER, stop bickering and HAVE THE COURAGE TO MAKE THESE CHANGES AND MAKE THEM NOW!!
- Jill Green, Chippenham. Wiltshire., 13/11/2008 11:11
Report abuse
Politicians should absolutely make child protection into a political issue - it's important, affects the whole country and if parliament discussed it as much as the subject deserves the country would have a better idea of what is happening in so many families.
David Cameron may have made errors in his speech, but Labour have concealed important details - which Social Worker was overseeing the case, were they sufficiently experienced for something so risky and complicated and were they working in a bureaucratic nightmare in an underfunded and unpopular Local Authority?
- Jim, Witham, 13/11/2008 10:55
Report abuse
