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Abuse death questions for head of Baby P taskforce
Tim Ross13 Feb 2009
The woman leading the Baby P taskforce faces questions after two children died from abuse on her watch, the Evening Standard can reveal.
Children's Secretary Ed Balls appointed Moira Gibb from Camden council to review social services across England in the wake of the Baby P scandal. But a series of failings by Ms Gibb's social workers in two separate cases raised concerns over her suitability for the role.
An Evening Standard investigation found that four inquiries have been held into the death or serious harm of a child from suspected abuse or neglect in Camden in the past five years.
Among the victims was a six-year-old girl, Ukleigha Batten-Froggatt, who was murdered in 2005 by her mother's boyfriend, despite being placed on Camden's child protection register. Her mother was also killed in the attack.
Shortly after the case, Ms Gibb announced a re-structuring of children's services in Camden "to improve the welfare of all children".
But the following year, two-month-old Rhys Biggs died after suffering "horrific" abuse, including numerous fractured ribs, a broken arm and shoulder.
Social workers failed to check the police records of his mother's boyfriend, who was revealed as a convicted child sex attacker with a "troubled" past.
The circumstances of Rhys's death provoked a fresh outcry over the failure of social workers and health staff to protect vulnerable children.
It followed the case of 17-month-old Baby P in Haringey, who suffered months of abuse and neglect, with at least 50 injuries including a broken back.
Despite being seen 60 times by health and social workers, Baby P was found dead in his cot in 2007. In the row that followed, Mr Balls appointed Ms Gibb to lead the taskforce to investigate the problems social workers face and propose reforms.
But Haringey's MP, Lynne Featherstone, questioned the appointment of Ms Gibb in light of the other cases in Camden.
"This is concerning information," she said. "It must, unfortunately, put a question mark over Ed Balls's choice. He should look into the background here so we are reassured over his choice to lead the taskforce."
Ms Gibb, who has been chief executive of Camden since 2003, said she did not "seek" the role but was asked to take it on. "I did so with a view to improving services to families and vulnerable individuals," she said.
"I am working with colleagues nationally across a range of specialisms and expertise to make recommendations to improve the effectiveness of social work."
A spokeswoman for Mr Balls's department said of Ms Gibb: "Her previous work as a social worker means she is ideally placed to understand the difficult job that social workers do."
Reader views (4)
Thank you Frank.London.We are all aware of the very good, dedicated health care professionals, police officers, social workers. etc. who on a daily basis do their very difficult jobs to the best of their ability and often have to do things things and witness things that most of us wouldn't want to.
That said, it doesn't change the fact that in many areas of this country many identified being abused and at risk children are not being enabled to access any quality of effective child protection ability.
It doesn't change the reality that many children, who are unfortunate enough to be being rendered into 'care' are suffering from poor arrangements and facilities.
Many good, experienced child protection practitioners, at this moment, are leaving the service because they are not being enabled to do the job that they want to and that instead of 'seeing' the children they are tied to a desk. Many are leaving because they feel that 'the system' is not working for the children.
Recruiting people to come into social work, especially into the child protection field, is difficult.
The number of serious case reviews being conducted, around the country, indicate that something is seriously wrong with child protection in practice.
The cost of all these reviews, which result in the same repeat findings, would pay for much that could improve front-line child protection ability. Etc.
Frank. All or us who care demand change to improve front-line child protection in practice.
- Tessa Boo, London W11 1NR, 14/02/2009 15:50
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I'ts a shame that the Eve Standard doesn't spend its energy on reporting the reality of the massive contribution that child protection staff make. Day in day out social workers, police and health visitors keep children safe, doing difficult and challenging jobs that most people wouldn't touch.There probably isn't a council area in the country where there hasnt been a child death in the last ten years. But why assume its the fault of the workers? That would be like saying the police are to blame for all murders. Let's all stop looking to blame the staff involved and get down to the real issue - what is it that makes parents murder their own children?
- Frank, London, London, 13/02/2009 21:23
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The reality is that child protection, as it is in practice, on A National Level is just not being enabled to work and is not 'a system' which can be worked by the so called child protection practitioners.
Mr Balls. Tinkering around the edges of 'the child protection system' ie..Dear Deidre... Panels, will not help to improve front-line child protection ability and will not help to protect that small minority of children who are identified as in need of care and protection.
Making sure everyone 'involved' and Experienced in trying to protect known at risk children have their concerns heard and examined will.
Ideas for a better way forward in child protection ability, in practice, are URGENTLY required.
The System is not working for many of the very children that it is in place for. The System needs to be re-designed from bottom to top.
The government must show the will and lead an URGENT effort to do this NOW. For The Sake of The Children. For the sake of all those who care about them and for the sake of all those who work so hard to try to protect them !
- Tessa Boo, London, 13/02/2009 18:36
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Talk about the blind leading the blind. Why don't they get it that the political correct dogma has destroyed common sense. These child deaths lay at the fault of these people that put political correction above a child life and it's rotten deep down to the core. Thats the legacy that the trendy lefties of the Labour has stained on society.
- Joe, Swanley Kent, 13/02/2009 16:58
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