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Haringey pays over odds to hire staff
Peter Dominiczak06.05.09
The council at the centre of the Baby P scandal has boosted wages for social workers as it seeks to attract much-needed staff.
Haringey Council, which last week sacked four social workers associated with the case of Baby Peter, has offered nearly £68,000 for a team manager in its children's services department. The council has been criticised after it was revealed it was offering £38,000 more than the UK average for a similar position.
More than a third of the council's social work positions are vacant, and it has been claimed that it has struggled to recruit social workers after its failings in the Baby Peter case came to light last year.
Posts for junior social workers in the borough were offered on a recruitment site with a £38,000 salary. However, a government website suggests that a junior social worker should only expect to be paid around £18,000.
A spokesman for Haringey said: "We are putting more resources into child protection. The salaries are comparable with other local councils."
Reader views (2)
There are plenty of qualified unemployed people in UK without having to pay over the odds, this is typical of this Council who think our money will sort everything out, rather than getting right person(s) for the job
- Mike, London England
I hope they get ones with brains.
- Mickyinlondon, london
