Baby P chief sacking 'rule breach'

News 07 10 2009: Baby P chief sacking 'rule breach'. The former children's services chief who lost her job over the Baby P tragedy was the victim of a "flagrant breach of the rules of natural justice" that left her shocked, ruined her career and led her to thoughts of suicide, the High Court has heard. Last November Mr Ed Balls sent Ofsted inspectors into Haringey after the trial of those responsible for the death of Baby P and on the 1st December Mr Balls removed Ms Shoesmith from her senior post.

 

Ofsted (Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills) began life on the 1st April 2007 bringing together four separate inspectorates. Its brief is to inspect and regulate care for children and young people, and inspect education and training for learners of all ages.

Its website goes on to say that it will listen to service users and providers; that it does not report to the Government but directly to Parliament (and to the Lord Chancellor about children and family courts administration); that carries out hundreds of inspections and regulatory visits each week, publishing its findings within the Inspection reports area of its website. http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/Ofsted-home/About-us

 

How very “odd” that Mr Balls found it necessary to “send in” Ofsted Inspectors when the primary purpose of Ofsted as an inspectorate is to discover any failures for itself?. In 2004 the inquiry into the murder of 7 year old Toni-Ann Byfield exposed major failings in Public Services to which the then Children’s Minister voiced that lessons be learnt and acted upon in future. One manager at that time reported that he supervised 40 staff while being targeted to increase case loads by 25%!. Come the 7th December 2008 Ed Ball announced a New Government Task Force called the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) however what was most interesting in that announcement was that future Chiefs of Local Authority Children’s Services to have experience in Schools and Social Work before being appointed!. In addition training schemes would provide more emphasis on "on-the-job" learning along with a "qualifying year" in which new staff will get hands-on experience before they qualify fully!.

 

There we go – a Government admission that some appointed Chiefs not have proper experience to administer others while more training be necessary for those at the coal-face BUT even given that is it not Government Inspectorates that “over-see all” in being accountable towards their paymasters – that of taxpayers?. The News below highlights the “buck-passing” but whom should be made ultimately accountable for the failings at Haringey; (1) Ofsted or (2) The Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt whom was written to some 6 months prior to the death of Baby P concerning failings at Haringey or (3) Ms Shoesmith whom was appointed by Capita to become the director of children's services.

 

OLD News:

01 12 2008 Government to receive Baby P report. Inspectors are to hand Government ministers their first report into the council criticised over Baby P's death. Children's Secretary Ed Balls ordered an urgent review of the local authority's child welfare services

02 12 2008 Director <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 />Sharon Shoesmith - Baby P case. Until yesterday Sharon Shoesmith had a staff of more than a thousand, a budget of £100 million and an annual salary of £100,000. In the aftermath of the Baby P case she fought to keep all three and refused to resign. She was appointed by Capita – the private company that oversees the borough’s schools – to be the director of children's services in Haringey

02 12 2008 Three lose jobs over Baby P tragedy. Three senior figures from Haringey Council have lost their jobs over the Baby P tragedy. Children's Secretary Ed Balls said an independent report had painted a "devastating and damning" picture of failings in the north London local authority's systems. He confirmed that council leader George Meehan and Cabinet member for children and young people Liz Santry had quit, while the head of children's services, Sharon Shoesmith, has been removed from her post.

12 11 2008 Balls orders baby death inquiry. Ed Balls said there will be an inquiry. There were angry exchanges in the House of Commons. A Court heard how baby P was seen 60 times by Health/Social Workers over an 8 month period. Dr XXXX (a Paediatrician) failed to spot a broken spine/ribs 48 hours before he was found dead in his blood-spattered cot. Two social workers and a lawyer have been given formal written warnings over the toddler's case, the Haringey Local Safeguarding Children Board has said.

14 11 2008 Government 'ignored' Baby P warning. The Government was alerted to a claim that child protection procedures were not being followed by Haringey Council six months before the death of Baby P, it has emerged. Officials responded to the claim saying ministers were in no position to deal with it and suggested instead it should be referred to the social care inspectorate. The Independent newspaper said a Social Worker had written to then Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt, but had subsequently received an injunction against speaking publicly about her claims!.

16 11 2008 Baby P: lawyers advised 'no action'. According to The Sunday Telegraph, the council's legal department advised that the child did not need to be taken into care just nine days before he died.At a meeting of council officials on July 25 last year, a lawyer advised social workers that the evidence that Baby P was being abused was not strong enough to warrant removing the child from his mother, the paper said.
17 11 2008 Baby P - Police wanted to place baby in care. Police officers wanted to place Baby P in care but were dissuaded by social services to return him to his abusive mother, it was revealed. However, a BBC Panorama documentary obtained a confidential police report that described "a frank exchange of views" between police and Haringey social services, who preferred to return him to his mother.

18 11 2008 New plans to boost child protection. Children's Secretary Ed Balls will put forward legislation aimed at creating greater accountability for a child's wellbeing, with local services forced to chart their progress in intervening at an early stage. The Government will also publish new reforms aimed at improving child and adolescent mental health care.

22 11 2008 Government U-turn on Baby P report. Children's Secretary Ed Balls told the Commons on Thursday that Government lawyers had advised him not to make the full serious case review available. He cited a 2006 ruling by the Information Commissioner in a separate case and voiced concerns that identifying the professionals involved in the case could jeopardise future investigations. The MPs will be allowed to read the document on "privy council terms", meaning they must keep its contents secret.

07 12 2008 New task force announced - The Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF). Children's Secretary Ed Balls and Health Secretary Alan Johnson will this week announce the formation of a new task force to look at every aspect of social work, including leadership. Officials have confirmed that ministers wanted to see future chiefs of local authority children's services gain experience in both schools and social work before they are appointed. The Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) confirmed that the new Government taskforce would be headed by Moira Gibb, the chief executive of Camden Council and a former social worker, and would report to ministers by next summer.

04 03 2009 Childrens services 'declining'. Children's services deteriorated last year and remain the least best performing area of councils' work, according to independent assessments.

15 03 2009 A Leaked report shows Baby P blunders. The confidential document, handed to the Mail on Sunday, describes how vital information about his background was not passed on to police, and doctors and officials missed and delayed meetings to discuss his welfare. Meanwhile, health, welfare and legal experts missed other meetings, the Mail on Sunday reports. The Government came under fire for refusing to make public the full details of the Serious Case Review.

10 04 2009 Baby P report reveals police delays. An investigation into suspicious bruises on the little boy's head and body "drifted" and the six-month limit for bringing a common assault charge passed. In March 2007 the detective in charge moved to a different part of the Metropolitan Police without formally handing the case to another officer and the investigation "drifted".

News 07 10 2009: Baby P chief sacking 'rule breach'. The former children's services chief who lost her job over the Baby P tragedy was the victim of a "flagrant breach of the rules of natural justice" that left her shocked, ruined her career and led her to thoughts of suicide, the High Court has heard. Last November Mr Ed Balls sent Ofsted inspectors into Haringey after the trial of those responsible for the death of Baby P and on the 1st December Mr Balls removed Ms Shoesmith from her senior post.

 

Ofsted  http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/Ofsted-home/About-us

1 April 2007 The start of the Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills

Brought together four formerly separate inspectorates. To inspect and regulate care for children and young people, and inspect education and training for learners of all ages. To achieve this we will report fairly and truthfully; we will listen to service users and providers; and we will communicate our findings with all who share our vision, from service providers to policy-makers. We do not report to government ministers but directly to Parliament (and to the Lord Chancellor about children and family courts administration). This independence means you can rely on us for impartial information. We carry out hundreds of inspections and regulatory visits each week, publishing our findings within the Inspection reports area of this website.