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The arrogance of not saying sorry set the seal on her fate
Robert Mendick, Chief Reporter01.12.08
Branded "arrogant" and accused of "abysmal indifference", Sharon Shoesmith has earned herself over the past few weeks the unenviable title of Britain's most detested public official.
The fate of Mrs Shoesmith, who earned about £100,000 a year as head of Haringey's social services, was sealed from the moment she refused to apologise and instead tried to justify her department's failings.
Her demise was sealed at a hastily arranged press conference in the immediate aftermath of the Old Bailey trial that had exposed social workers' blunders. Rather than saying sorry - the bare minimum expected from her - Mrs Shoesmith unadvisedly showed a series of graphs to the assembled media, highlighting Haringey's "three-star" services, in reference to a previous official report. The graphs showed how many children in care achieved GCSE results, how many were adopted and how many received various health and welfare check-ups.
Mrs Shoesmith, 55, a career bureaucrat with apparently little media training, completely misjudged the mood. She dug in and defended her workforce. rather than saying sorry, she declared: "The child was killed by members of his own family and not by social services. The very sad fact is that we can't stop people who are determined to kill children."
One source who has met her told the Evening Standard the performance was in keeping with her character. "She is authoritative, arrogant and will brook no criticism," claimed the source. "She is a very, very defensive woman. She is very committed to education and very dismissive of anyone who doesn't subscribe to her view."
The mother of two grown-up daughters, Mrs Shoesmith was defended by one of them who telephoned the BBC to complain her mother was being "scapegoated" by a hysterical media. Sixty headteachers in Haringey also jumped to her defence. But it was hard to find much other sympathy.
Born in County Antrim in Northern Ireland, she rose from being a school teacher to education inspector to eventually director in charge of education at Haringey. More recently she was promoted to head of children's services, putting her in charge of social services too although she had little experience in the field.
She was married until recently to Geoffrey Shoesmith, a career civil servant. She enjoyed travelling with her daughters in the US and in South Africa, even spending a day at Ascot races in the weeks after Baby P's death in August last year.
Reader views (11)
I think Mrs Shoesmith's response is but a consequence of the government's obsession with league tables and "data" over the last 10 years or more. She herself is a product of this. What is perhaps needed is fewer Powerpoint presentations from aloof management and more support for the social workers on-the-ground.
- Kevin,, London
Bet she gets a whacking great pay-off. We are talking about a Loony Left Council here.
- Andy Adderton, Skegness lincs
I do wish newspapers would use the word "earn" more sparingly. These people may well be PAID vast sums of money, but they certainly don't EARN them.
- L.Taubler, London / UK
I agree with the comment about the fundamental flaws in Laming's orginal report. You don't solve a problem by making the structure even more complicated - thus creating a bigger haystack in which to find the needle. The creation of huge Children Service departments often headed by people who have no experience in child protection was the issue here.
- Raphael, London
There will be no private pay off as suggested by one correspondant.It will be in your face public and two fingers up to the rate payers from an incompetent and uncaring woman.
- P, filey uk
No doubt those 60 headteachers were promoted by her, that's why they lept to her defence. Brown nosing on a mass scale! Did they all really think she was going to keep her job. Just goes to show people are like sheep.
- Triffidqueen, London
The appointment of the likes of Sharon Shoesmith is a direct result of Laming recommendations and the following Children Act 2004. Yet here we go again Laming is being asked to report on the nattional position of the implementation of his flawed report. Brilliant Ed Balls absoulutely brilliant
- Speedo, harrogate
Keep up the good work please and do not let this drop!
- Manny Goldstein, London, UK
Thank God for common sense to prevail and for this obnoxious woman to be ousted, I hope she is not given a secret pay off which is often the case of people in these types of jobs.
- Peter, Waltham Cross UK
She should not receive one penny in compensation for loss of office.
- C.D.C., Shrewsbury
Can the sixty headteachers also be sacked now?
- Mike, London
