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Experienced director has task of preventing more baby P cases
21 May 2009A children's services boss with professional experience of two horrific baby deaths will take up a national role to prevent more Baby P cases, it was announced today.
Catherine Fitt will become the new strategic director for children's services for the National College of School Leadership, after a four-year stint as executive director of children's services at Newcastle City Council.
The role was created by children's secretary Ed Balls following the publication of the recent review of Children's Services by Lord Laming.
In her time in Newcastle, she oversaw reviews into two high-profile baby deaths.
Aaron O'Neil, aged just three months, was killed at the hands of his father Paul, in February 2005. The baby had his face held against a gas fire, Newcastle Crown Court heard, and his father was jealous of the attention the infant received.
Mrs Fitt ordered an independent inquiry which concluded there were lessons to be learnt, and a social worker resigned.
The council executive took up her role in Newcastle in the same month baby Aaron was murdered.
In August 2005, four-month-old Alexander Gallon was killed by his mother Danielle Wails when she set fire to their home in Cowgate, Newcastle.
A Serious Case Review was carried out which found his death could not have been predicted, but found different agencies and staff within them needed to communicate better.
Alexander's mother was charged with murder but her guilty plea to the unusual charge of infanticide was accepted, because she was suffering post natal depression.
While in Newcastle, Mrs Fitt ensured that domestic violence cases reported to police were passed on to Children's Services as a matter of course.
She said: "While it was always going to be a big decision for me to leave Newcastle because it is such a pleasure working with everyone involved in Children's Services, I think the timing is right.
"We have made lots of progress in four years and I am totally confident in the team to take the service forward to the next stage.
"I will also relish the opportunity to make sure that leaders in Children's Services thrive so that our endeavours will be successful in improving outcomes for young people across the country and into the future.
"I will always be grateful to all those I have worked with across Newcastle for all the opportunities and experience you have shared with me."
Councillor John Shipley, leader of Newcastle City Council, said: "Catherine's appointment to such a high profile and influential role is a testament to how Newcastle Children's Services have come to be viewed nationally under her leadership.
"In this time we have been named a national beacon for our efforts tackling child poverty, and seen outcomes improve for our children and young people, from record school achievement to the number of schools rated as 'outstanding' by Ofsted, to the robust systems we now have in place to keep children safe."
