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The case of Baby P turns out to have a significance far beyond the individual tragedy of the child's violent death at the hands of his mother, her boyfriend and her lodger, and raises troubling questions about the quality of child protection in this country.
Haringey council's director of children's services, Sharon Shoesmith, has now been removed from her post; George Meehan, leader of the council, and Liz Santry, cabinet member for children, have resigned. Two other officials have been suspended and three social workers are subject to review after a damning independent report commissioned following the murder trial. But the ramifications do not end here.
After the similar case of Victoria Climbié eight years ago, and the Laming inquiry which followed it, many people hoped and believed that never again could abusers inflict a prolonged series of assaults without being detected. Yet Baby P, seen 60 times in his 17-month life by social workers, doctors and police, and the subject of a child protection order, was left with his manipulative and deceitful mother. Yesterday's report by Ofsted, the Healthcare Commission and the Chief Inspector of Constabulary identifies a number of failings, including the lack of co-ordination between agencies which was a feature of the Climbié case, poor recording of information and inadequate supervision of frontline staff. Of Haringey's 121 social workers, 51 are temporary agency staff, suggesting deep-rooted management failures there.
However, one criticism of the entire framework for child protection stands out, and it is the one raised in Parliament by David Cameron the day after details of Baby P's death first emerged: the “local child safeguarding boards” created following the Laming inquiry and intended to hold individual social services and other agencies to account, include and can even be chaired by, staff of those same agencies. Ms Shoesmith herself chaired the Haringey board. The boards therefore lack independence and tend not to ask the difficult questions about whether officials are doing their jobs properly. That limitation on their effectiveness should have been entirely foreseeable when they were created.
That said, this case has proved embarrassing for Ed Balls, the Children's Secretary, as the Haringey officials continue on full pay despite his actions. In addition to requiring Ofsted to make surprise annual inspections of local authorities' child protection arrangements, he should review the safeguarding board system. Otherwise this case in Haringey may not be the last of its kind.
2012 goals
It is wholly wrong that a discarded six-year old secret report into the impact of the Olympics should set the stage for today's distribution of 2012 funds to 27 sports. The 2012 Games are a once-in-a-life time opportunity to drive forward the regeneration of east London — desperately needed if the capital is to provide homes and infrastructure for a growing population— while at the same time celebrating sport and everything it can do for health and human potential. But these goals can be achieved only if ministers and the public at large get behind the unique catalyst for investment and endeavour that the Olympics represent. The deadline created by August 2012 will spur on all those involved in upgrading the east London areas affected — but the wider social benefits for Britain in terms of encouraging participation in sport must be grasped too. That thinking should inform Games chiefs' discussions of sports funding today.
And celebrating..
Green cars. The Mayor has called upon the car industry to come up with a family-sized zero emissions car. There are currently few options beyond the Toyota Prius and Lexus Hybrid. Manufacturers must use the opportunity of the downturn to plan for the future and develop new and greener models.
Reader views (2)
I don't understand why if the police say take a child into protective custody it doesn't happen. We need our social workers and police to work together to protect children. I want to know what is really being done to protect the children, why does it seem like common sense was abandoned in this case? I don't understand how any social worker who was a parent could let that beautiful child say in that environment. Why was the mother allowed to cancel appointments, if so why a social worker didn't go to the house? Why did the doctors miss all this child's injuries if he was being brought to them regularly. All it would have taken is one full body scan. Please raise a fuss and don't let this happen again.
- Nancy, El Paso TX, 18/12/2009 20:24
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How can failings covered-up with this filthy institutional blanket of denial be fixed?
How long must a childs'body be allowed to be abused broken before it is fixed?
How is it that children like Baby P and Victoria Climbie' have to live die in such appalling circumstances before the child protection system is fixed?
- Kenny Richards, Caernarfon, North Wales, 02/12/2008 15:08
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