Tonight:
9°c
MPs grill Ofsted head on 'glowing report' it gave Shoesmith
Tim Ross10.12.08
OFSTED boss Christine Gilbert faces a grilling today over how inspectors could give Sharon Shoesmith a glowing report just weeks after Baby P died.
The children, schools and families select committee of MPs will demand to know why inspectors failed to spot the devastating problems in the borough as the tragedy unfolded. The Evening Standard revealed last month that Ofsted knew about Baby P's death when inspectors described Haringey children's services as "good".
But Ofsted has said its report in October last year was based on misleading data from Haringey and Ms Gilbert was due to tell the committee that future inspections will be reformed so that reports do not simply rely on paperwork.
Lynne Featherstone, Liberal Democrat MP for Hornsey and Wood Green, said: "While I think she is undoubtedly right that Haringey presented misleading information, why did Ofsted so easily have the wool pulled over their eyes?"
Aged just 17 months, Baby P had more than 50 injuries, including a broken back when he was found dead in his cot in August last year.
He had been on Haringey's child protection register for nearly half his life.
In October 2006, a full Ofsted inspection of Haringey expressed concerns over child protection. But one year later, after follow-up desk research, inspectors congratulated Ms Shoesmith's department for improving "the life chances" of children.
Led by Juliet Winstanley, who worked under Ms Shoesmith in a previous job, last year's report singled out the council's "good" child protection work for particular praise.
But last week Ofsted highlighted a string of failings in Haringey which were nowhere to be seen in Ms Winstanley's report. The case marks the first major test for the new Ofsted, which now has a vast remit stretching way beyond its traditional role inspecting schools.
Reader views (9)
The questioning by the parliamentary committee can hardly be described as a 'grilling'. There was an opportunity to question the detail of the report & its outrageous conclusions. But no, her feeble explanations for the misleading report were not further investigated as a John Humphries on form might have done. There was more hot air than substance. What will happen to her ? Nothing I suspect. I wonder what her salary & final pension will be !
J of Westbourne
- Julian, bournemouth
What has happened to the 30 odd Haringey School Heads who wrote an open letter supporting Ms Shoesmith?. Perhaps they should also be sacked as they clearly have no sense of right or wrong, or were they all employed on the recommendations of Ms Shoesmith.
- Pete, Croydon Uk
Its just all to cozy!
- Kevin Sullivan, Roehampton, London.
An inspection report restricted to examining paperwork is not worth the paper it's written on. This exercise proved to be more thyan a waste of public money. It has seriously mislead everybody and colluded in the cover-up of this shambles of a public service.
- Peter, Pirot, Serbia
Its simple ! All these PC morons are interested in are that all the right boxes have been ticked and that the set targets have been achieved. Thats all that matter in the twisted world of Nu Lab.
- Duncan Walker, Ex Peckham now Samui Thailand
Did fear of Ms Shoesmith impact on the 'glowing' report conducted by a former Haringey LEA officer? I thought Ofsted personnel had to disclose past connections to schools etc, so why did Ms Gilbert allow this inspection to go ahead? As a former HMI, Ms Shoesmith was known to many in education before she joined Haringey. What were Ms Gilbert's former posts before Tower Hamlets and Ofsted - how well did she know SS?
- Debbie, London UK
Many more unscheduled spot checks are needed, random files should be requisitioned and cases investigated by a special national "hit team" - a central data base of child injuries should be maintained in all hospitals and police stations so that cross checks can be made on any occasion a child is brought in for treatment, or report to the police is made.
Sanctions for child abuse offenders should be savage.
- Chris, Hong Kong
This just goes to show what a complete waste of money these inspections are and anyone who works in laboratories or schools will know exactly what I am talking about. In laboratories you are given advanced warning which could be many weeks in advance, come to the same lab a few weeks later after the inspection and it would probably fail completely.
- Stephend, London, England
Presumably the select committee would like to hear what Ms Winstanley has to say about this ?
- Peter Haldane, London
