| A
social worker who failed to halt the abuse and murder of eight year old
Victoria Climbie won back the right to work with children yesterday.
Lisa
Arthurworrey, who repeatedly failed to notice that Victoria was being
tortured,
was said by a tribunal to be 'another victim' in the Climbie tragedy.
The
decision to overturn
her ban on working in childcare means that every social worker, manager
and police officer yesterday that she felt vindicated by the ruling of
the Care Standards Tribunal, which reversed a ban imposed by former
education
secretary Charles Clarke
The
tribunal panel
blamed not the social worker but leaders and managers at Haringey
Council
in north London for their 'chaotic' supervision.
The
Victoria
Climbie Inquiry Report Jan 2003
Miss
Arthurworrey
was said in Lord Laming's 2003 report into the killing to have failed
to
notice signs of abuse. In December 1999 and January 2000 she visited
the
flat, but no one came to the door. Miss Arthurworrey decided the family
had left the area. I n reality Victoria was dying in the flat. She was
sacked by Haringey Council and lost a employment tribunal case to win
her
job back. But yesterday the Care Standards Tribunal said it was wrong
to
prevent her working with children.
The
panel said:
'Miss
Arthurworrey
came over to us in her evidence as a straightforward and caring
individual
who has fully acknowledged the mistakes she made.'
Miss
Arthurworrey
told BBC Radio 4's Today program: 'I made many and serious mistakes
However,
it is also true that I was badly let down by my employer and had I been
working in a different environment maybe those mistakes would not have
been made.'
She
added: 'I have
never considered myself a danger to children, so in that respect I do
feel
vindicated.
Far
from paying a
price for failure senior figures at Haringey at the time of Victoria's
death went on to highly paid jobs elsewhere. Mary Richardson, who
headed
the 'chaotic' social services department, left for a £100,000 a
year
job as social services director in neighboring Hackney. Hackney social
services were found to have acted questionably in the 'witchcraft'
abuse
case of another eight year old African girl.
Note:
Carole Baptiste
repeatedly failed to give evidence to inquiry!
A key
figure in the
Victoria Climbie case is to face trial over accusations that she
deliberately
failed to appear before the inquiry into the girl's murder.
Carole
Baptiste's
prosecution by the inquiry headed by Lord Laming is the first of its
kind.
She
pleaded not guilty
at Camberwell Green Magistrates Court in south London on Wednesday to
breaching
a summons issued by the inquiry. Ms Baptiste was a team leader at
Haringey
social services in north London and the line manager for Victoria's
social
worker, Lisa Arthurworrey.
Victoria's
parents,
Francis and Berthe, yesterday called on the Government to punish those
senior managers and councillors who were responsible for the chaos that
passed for social care at Haringey at the time of Victoria murder
They
said "only
by this can the public have confidence that those really to blame for
the
failure to protect children have been made to take responsibility for
their
wrongdoing.'
They
added that they
have 'always held that Lisa Arthurworrey was simply a convenient
scapegoat
for the senior people to hide their failings behind'.
The
Climbié's
hit out at Haringey Council not taking action against Mary
Richardson.
The
latter went on
to run Hackney social services, where we have again seen a child abuse
scandal among the African communities that the social services failed
to
properly deal with' they said. s.doughty@dailymail.co.uk
Where
are the
Others that Failed Her?
By
Steve Doughty,
Social Affairs Correspondent Daily Mail Friday, June 10, 2005
Mary
Richardson
ACCUSATION:
Head of Haringey social services department, condemned by the Climbie
inquiry
for its 'blinding incompetence'. Left the council two months after
Victoria's
death.
WHERE
IS SHE NOW?
Joined Hackney Council as its £100,000-a-year social services
director.
In charge in Hackney at the time of the 'witchcraft' abuse case, in the
news , when social services sent an eight-year-old African girl back to
an aunt who was torturing her.
Comment:
Mary
Richardson, formerly Haringey's Director of Social Services, was
headhunted
by Hackney
Carol
Wilson
ACCUSATION:
The assistant director of Haringey social services 'knew enough' about
the weaknesses of team member Carole Baptiste, according to the report.
It claimed that she should have 'at least seriously questioned the
wisdom
of putting her in charge of a pressurised investigation and assessment
team'.
WHERE
IS SHE NOW?
Did not face disciplinary proceedings and moved to a
£65,000-a-year
post as head of social services at Waltham Forest Council.
Comment:
Carol
Wilson, responsible for Haringey's Children Services, moved to Waltham
Forest - where the Social Services Inspectorate has recently given no
stars
at all to the Council's social services department, one of only twelve
authorities in the country with such a low rating.
Gurbux
Singh
ACCUSATION:
The then chief executive of Haringey Council did not face disciplinary
action. This was despite the report claiming he 'carried overall
responsibility'
for the council.
WHERE
IS HE NOW?
Took a job as chairman of the Commission for Racial Equality three
weeks
before Victoria died. Quit in 2002 after a fracas with police outside
Lord's
cricket ground. Last year he was one of four British officials to work
in Baghdad for the U.S. Agency for International Development.
Comment:
Gurbux
Singh, Haringey's former Chief Executive, was Tony Blair's personal
choice
for Chair of the Commission for Racial Equality, until he got drunk and
assaulted a policeman outside Lords.
Philip
Wheeler
ACCUSATION:
Detective Chief Inspector in charge of Brent and Haringey police child
protection units. Accused of allow-ing his units to descend into chaos,
with overworked frontline staff having to 'muddle through as best they
could'. His 'lack of supervision' was a 'crucial factor in teams being
allowed to deteriorate'.
WHERE
IS HE NOW?
After being seconded to Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary, he
returned to Scotland Yard in January 2003 because it was felt
'inappropriate'
to have him inspecting other officers.
Comment:
Philip
Wheeler, who supervised six police child protection teams in north-west
London at the time of Victoria's death. He received a formal caution -
a less serious punishment than a reprimand.
Karen
Jones
ACCUSATION:
The PC with Haringey Child Protection Unit was criticised for doing
'nothing'
to protect Victoria after she was taken to hospital. Later admitted
failing
to visit Victoria's home for fear of catching scabies.
WHERE
IS SHE NOW?
She has not been suspended and continues to serve with the Met. Briefly
trained recruits at Hendon Police College on a £27,000-a-year
salary,
even lecturing trainee constables on child protection.
Comment:
PC
Karen Jones who refused to visit the eight-year-old girl's home for
fear
of catching scabies, received minor rebukes following misconduct
hearings
Ruby
Schwartz
ACCUSATION:
A part-time consultant at Central Middlesex Hospital, she was also head
of child protection yet ruled Victoria's injuries were due to scabies.
Accused of 'failing to assess the evidence available to her' and not
following
'established good medical practice'.
WHERE
IS SHE NOW?
Given a permanent £60,000-a-year job at the Central Middlesex
Hospital
in February 2002. Last September, charges of professional misconduct
relating
to Victoria's case were dropped by the General Medical Council. She was
said to be 'relieved'.
Comment:
Dr
Ruby Schwartz, the consultant paediatrician whose failure to diagnose
that
Victoria Climbie was being brutally abused led to the eight year olds
return
to the carers who were eventually to kill her. Dr Ruby Schwartz had
misconduct
charges against her dropped by the GMC in 2004.

Read
About The Victoria Climbie Charitable Fund
Read
Updates About Victoria's Story
Timeline
Of Events In Victoria's Short Life
Return
To Victoria's story
For information about preventing child
abuse in the
England click below. If they can't help you, ask for someone who can. NEVER
give
up looking for help for an abused child!
Call
this number
to report child abuse ANY WHERE in the United States!
1-800-4-A-Child
1-800-422-4453


   



My sincerest appreciation goes
out to
Diane Trembly for allowing me to use one
of her beautiful Angels to
make the graphics
for this set. Please visit her site,
by clicking the link below, to
see all
of her amazing work.


|