Left to her own devices Sharon Shoesmith, the director of Haringey council's children's services, would have closed the case on the death of Baby P with just three formal written warnings to members of her team.

In the absence of any media furore, fuss, or further investigations her department would, doubtless, have continued to struggle along in a mire of incompetence.

The 17-month-old toddler's brutal death would have been in vain. And it's probably no exaggeration to say, given the volume of mistakes, he wouldn't have been the last tragedy to haunt Haringey.

Finally, thanks to an independent report, which lays bare the failures of her department, Miss Shoesmith's job has become untenable.

Children's Secretary Ed Balls will send in a new management team and if she were part of the real world, not a superannuated public servant, Shoesmith would walk away from the worst case of child abuse since Victoria Climbie shamed, humbled and clutching her P45.

Instead, there is every chance this woman who's shown no remorse for the death of a child in her care will leave her £100,000 job with a generous severance deal - one Haringey official confirming she will be "difficult and expensive" to get rid of.

Too true. She's in line for a pay-off of several months' salary and a "goldplated" pension deal.

It's sickening that while Baby P's life is over the woman who failed him will spend the rest of hers in comfort.

Though, one hopes, not in peace.

Once again, we're reminded that failure in Britain today is the equivalent of a lottery win. It's a reward culture that stinks.

25 November, 2008
REST IN PEACE, BABY P.
Filed under: children — admin @ 11:09 am 
By Abu Jamal

Around 150 family and friends were at Baby P’s funeral on November 30 last year at Finchley Crematorium in North London. It was bright sunshine and birds were singing. It was like the heavens were smiling down on him.

Baby P’s dad addressed the mourners, which was very brave of him.
He told everyone to remember all the happy times they had with his son and not dwell on the awful fate that befell him. 
He was in tears — everyone was — but he kept himself together somehow.

Speaking at St Pancras and Islington Cemeteries, in East Finchley, North London, he said: 

SOCIALISTS have always been in the forefront of campaigns and struggles for justice in the UK. In the 19th Century we played a leading role in the Struggle against Transatlantic Slavery, against Child Labour, for Universal Suffrage, for Free Education and Health Care.
In the last Century Hundreds of Thousands of people inspired by a vision of a future where the needs of the most vulnerable would be met, collaborated through the Labour Movement and their biggest achievement was the establishment of the Welfare State in the aftermath of World War II.

The overwhelming majority of people in the UK expected that the needs of the most vulnerable would be met from the ‘Cradle to the Grave’.

Today the Welfare State is an institution in profound crisis beset by contradictions. The Case Baby ‘P’ has brought all of those contradictions out into the open. For Baby P the distance between the Cradle and the Grave was short and punctuated by horrendous brutality.

On Armistice Day 11-11-08 Haringey Local Child Safeguarding Board released its Serious Case Review  on that same day came the Old Bailey Verdict 

Two Men, the 32 year old boyfriend of Baby P’s mother and his 36 year old Brother were found guilty of “causing or allowing the death of a child or vulnerable person”, under section five of the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004. Baby P’s Mother, 27 years old, had already pleaded guilty to the same charge. The Three will be sentenced on Monday 15th December.

In the two weeks since Armistice Day there has been an unprecedented expression of grief and anger about the Baby P case expressed through new communications media including online petitions and Facebook Groups that now involve the participation of over 1 million people. The Sun, the Daily Mail the News of the World and in London The Evening Standard have played a prominent role in covering issues related to the case. A young woman called Stacy Crisp from Essex has launched the called for a mass demonstration on Saturday 13th December to pass Downing Street and is building this event via Facebook group called Justice for Baby P March which calls for the ‘Urgent changes to child protection law and for the professionals involved in the case to be sacked’.

There is a profound moral struggle going on over who should take responsibility for the death of Baby P yet to date. This struggle is a focus for debate about what is wrong in society, and what is wrong with our welfare state, yet Socialists seem to be silent.

Martin Luther King Junior was fond of using a quote from Dante “The hottest places in hell are reserved for those who, in times of great moral crisis, maintain their neutrality.”

So here goes….. After over a decade of New Labour, initiatives like Sure Start, Working Families Tax Credits and campaigns against Domestic Violence millions of children live in poverty witnessing abuse and being subjected to it.

8 years after Victoria Climbie’s death in Haringey  After 5 years of the ‘Every Child Matters Agenda’ which, in part was a product of the Climbie Inquiry we have well paid public servants like Sharon Shoesmith head of Haringey Children and Young Peoples Service [Salary £110,000] and Chair of Haringey’s Safeguarding Children board refusing to acknowledge their responsibility for failing to implement, in practice, the reforms to Child Protection Procedures.

We have a catalogue of failures by a variety of professionals including Police Child Protection Officers, PCT Mental Health Workers, Health Visitor’s, Housing Support Workers, and last but not least Social Workers who did not implement the common assessment frameworks, multi agency working and information sharing that could have saved Baby P.

People like Nevres Kemal who tried to expose the failure of Haringey Social Services to implement the recommendations of the Climbie Inquiry or the spirit of the Every Child Matters Agenda have been lied about, stitched up and withchunted.

Baby P’s father is now seeking the custody of his three girls and has moved on with his life since the break up of his troubled relationship with their mother and the killer of their sibling. He has a new relationship and a new baby son. He plans to give up paid employment to become a full-time parent.

He is justifiably angry with the way he was excluded from participation in decisions made about his children and prevented by this exclusion from protecting his children from abuse.

Those who excluded Baby father P’s from the Initial Child Protection Case Conference held on 22 December 2006 him did so, on the basis of allegations that he was the perpetrator of Domestic Violence. Social Services assisted his estranged wife to establish a new home in February 2007 with financial assistance to the tune of £1,800 a month and turned a blind eye to her new relationship with a sadistic Neo-Nazi. The same professionals who proved incapable of showing respect for Baby P’s father also proved incapable of understanding the dynamics of what was happening in the new home they moved his children into. Despite many, many visits and interventions by many professionals in Baby P’s life all of them were apparently taken in by the lies and manipulative behavior of his mother.

The only professional who has faced any ‘disciplinary’ action since Baby P’s death was the last one to see him alive, locum paediatrician Sabah Al Zayyat, who during an examination failed to pick up on his broken spine, lower limb paralysis and 8 broken ribs. 2 days later Baby P was dead.

The extent of the injustice perpetrated upon Baby P, is a symptom of a deeper paralysis that affects statutory Health, Social and Educational Services when confronted with the complexities of social problems in the 21st Century. Nowhere is this paralysis more acute than in relationship with meeting the needs of Children. The failure of the Welfare State to meet the needs of the most vulnerable must be addressed by Socialists.

Socialists should support the calls for a full Public Inquiry into the Death of Baby P.

Socialists should support the calls for the resignation and or sacking of the key professionals engaged in this case.

Socialists should be part of the wider debate about the real nature and extent of child abuse, intimate abuse, and domestic violence in society.

Socialists should champion the implementation in practice of the Every Child Matters agenda and expose those who are obstructing this process.

Socialists should mobilise to support the Justice for Baby P March on Saturday 13th December.

December 3, 2008
NURSES’ UNION SPEAKS OVER BABY P

Filed under: children, Trade Unions — Andy Newman @ 12:46 pm 
In response to the report on the death of Baby P by the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, Dr. Peter Carter, Chief Executive and General Secretary of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN), said:

“We have been calling for government action to improve the dire state of child protection services in many parts of the country. It’s the child protection postcode lottery that failed Victoria Climbie in 2000 and it’s the same postcode lottery that has failed Baby P.

“The system is not in place to prevent similar tragedies, and government, Trusts and local authorities must show greater leadership and provide greater investment in training and access to Designated and Named Professionals. This would equip every part of the country with an adequate safeguarding and child protection service. 

“It is also up to child protection services to create a culture where it is acceptable for staff to express their concerns and reservations if they suspect a child is at risk. People are worried about saying something that turns out to be false, but child protection is not a precise science. If all professionals have clinical supervision then the individuals involved have a forum to express their suspicion before deciding how to take things forward.

“For everyone involved in child protection services, lessons need to be learnt and the right action is taken. This means simpler systems that make the work less, not more complicated for staff. Disincentives to good practice must be removed and new incentives to succeed and protect must be put in place.” 

“We know that many health professionals who work with children have not been able to access the training they require since the raid on training budgets during the deficits crisis. We urge all health professionals working with children to get in touch with the RCN or their relevant professional body if they do not have access to mandatory training or if they feel that their concerns are not being heard.”

Fury at pay for Baby P social work chief
 December 3, 2008 

ANGRY MPs demanded last night to know why Haringey Council's former director of children's services remains on full pay despite being ousted over the Baby P tragedy.

Sharon Shoesmith was removed from her post by the government on Monday after a damning report into her department's shortcomings.

But the council, in north London, has so far only suspended her on full pay – reportedly £100,000 a year – while it processes the case.

Meanwhile, it emerged that Haringey was investigating a second incident in which a child was harmed through suspected abuse or neglect. The council said it was unconnected to Baby P's death and confirmed an independent review was under way. 

David Cameron led calls for Ms Shoesmith to be sacked as soon as possible. The Tory leader said: "If they failed then they failed, and they shouldn't be kept on full pay. They shouldn't be rewarded for that failure.

"It's good that some of the people have been named and been suspended, but we still have a lot to do to get to the bottom of what really happened and to learn all the lessons."

Inspectors were sent into Haringey last month after the trial of those responsible for 17-month-old Baby P's death. The release of their report on Monday led to two senior councillors resigning, three managers being suspended and three social workers being taken off child protection duties.

8 December 2008 
Baby P official fired without pay

Sharon Shoesmith had rejected calls for her resignation 
The head of children's services at the council at the centre of the Baby P controversy has been fired without pay. 

Haringey Council said Sharon Shoesmith, who had defended her department over the death of the 17-month-old baby, had been dismissed with immediate effect. 

The boy, who was on the council's "at-risk" register, died in 2007 with major injuries, including a broken back. 

His mother admitted causing or allowing his death. Her boyfriend and Jason Owen were convicted of the same offence. 

'Serious concerns' 

In a brief statement, Haringey Council said Ms Shoesmith would not be receiving any compensation or pay in lieu of notice. 

"The decision was taken today by a panel of councillors," the statement said. 

  The very sad fact is that we can't stop people who are determined to kill children 

Sharon Shoesmith 
"Ms Shoesmith will not be returning to work in Haringey. She will not receive any compensation package." 

Children's Secretary Ed Balls removed Ms Shoesmith from her post on 1 December after a damning initial report into her department's shortcomings in the case. 

But the 55-year-old remained on full pay while the council considered her case. 

Following last month's convictions, Ms Shoesmith said she was satisfied that her department had acted appropriately. 

"The very sad fact is that we can't stop people who are determined to kill children," she said. 

"I am satisfied that the action that should have been taken was taken." 

But inspectors sent into Haringey after the trial of those responsible for the death identified a string of "serious concerns" about the area's child protection services, which they described as "inadequate". 

'Failure, deceit' 

In a 16-page report, they criticised everything from poor record-keeping to a failure to identify children at immediate risk of harm. 

Lynne Featherstone, the Liberal Democrat MP for Hornsey and Wood Green, welcomed Ms Shoesmith's departure. 

"I very much welcome her departure without a single penny. Hopefully it marks a break with the culture of secrecy, failure and deceit that failed Baby P." 

Councillor Robert Gorrie, leader of Haringey's Liberal Democrat opposition, said: "This is the right decision. No one should be rewarded for failure in public service." 

A spokeswoman for the Department for Children, Schools and Families said: "The Secretary of State is satisfied that Haringey appear to have moved swiftly to resolve this in the right way." 

Haringey is the same council that was severely criticised after the murder of eight-year-old Victoria Climbie in 2000. 

Baby P, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had suffered more than 50 injuries by the time of his death, despite being in contact with officials, medics and police 60 times in the eight months before he died. 

The council was forced to admit earlier this month that it had spent £19,000 on media training for high-profile employees involved in the Baby P case. 

Ms Shoesmith and Liz Santry, Haringey's Cabinet member for children and young people, who resigned earlier this month, are thought to be among those who received the special training. 

The move drew sharp criticism from opposition councillors in Haringey about the priorities of Ms Shoesmith's department. 

Owen, 36, and Baby P's mother and boyfriend are due to be sentenced next year. 

Adam Fresco, Crime Correspondent 

Social workers responsible for the care of Baby P tried to prevent his mother’s newborn child being taken into care against the advice of police, despite the fact it was born in jail, The Times has learnt. 

Council officials did not want the new baby – a girl – to be taken into care as they said it was "against the human rights" of the mother, even though she was on remand over the death of Baby P. 

A social worker told police: "We need to let her bond," but Scotland Yard officers eventually over-ruled Haringey on the issue. A source involved in the investigation said: “There was no way that police were going to allow this baby to be looked after by the mother.” 

Today the council finally apologised over the death of Baby P, who suffered months of abuse despite being on the “at-risk” register, and 60 visits from health and social workers in the last nine months of his life. 

However, it emerged that the day before he died, the council’s social workers offered to pay for his mother to go on a trip to the seaside as a “treat”. 

The mother, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had just been told by police that they were not going to take any action after she had previously been arrested on suspicion of assaulting Baby P. 

Unaware that the boy was probably already seriously injured, including having fractured ribs and a broken back, social services said that they would arrange the trip for the next week. 

The mother told the Old Bailey: “I felt like everything was finally falling into place. I was so happy, nothing could get me down.” But the next day the child was found dead in his cot. 

However a council spokesman denied the mother's claims that a trip was offered and said: "No such offer of a holiday or a trip to be paid for by the council was either made or implied. It is not our practice to offer such a holiday or a trip." 

Today Councillor Liz Santry, Haringey cabinet member for Children and Young People, said: “On behalf of Haringey Council I would like to say how deeply saddened I am about the death of Baby P. This is a really tragic occurrence and the circumstances of his death are really dreadful. 

“He died over 15 months ago, and for those past 15 months in Haringey there has been a huge amount of anguish, and endless discussion about what more we might have done to save this little boy. 

“I have to say that we are truly sorry that we did not do more to protect him. Our duty is to protect our children. We did not do so in this instance and I would like to say how truly sorry we are.

Earlier it was announced that social workers who failed to save the life of Baby P are being investigated by their professional regulator over possible breaches of their code of practice. 

Ed Balls, the Children’s Secretary, yesterday ordered an urgent inquiry by Ofsted, the Inspectorate of Constabulary and the Healthcare Commission into child welfare services provided by Haringey Council, the same north London local authority heavily criticised over the death of Victoria Climbie eight years ago. 

Asked today if he would sack Haringey’s head of children’s services, Sharon Shoesmith, he said it was “not about one individual” and insisted he would not pre-empt the review. 

Today the General Social Care Council (GSCC) said that it too was conducting “preliminary inquiries”, into the actions of individual social workers involved in the case. 

All workers must register with the GSCC and can be held to account if they breach its professional code of practice. 

Rosie Varley, the regulator’s chairman, said: “We are deeply saddened by this case and we are conducting our own preliminary inquiries to establish whether the circumstances have any bearing on the suitability of individual social workers to remain on the register. 

“All registered social workers are required to meet the highest standards of care and abide by our code of practice, to which they are held accountable.” 

Cllr Santry added: “The Government has arranged for inspectors to come into Haringey. They are arriving this afternoon and we absolutely welcome their arrival. We will do everything we can to be open and cooperative with them and the conclusions that they reach we will implement swiftly and comprehensively. 

“We want to do everything we possibly can to make our child protection procedures as strong as possible. We will wait until the end of the review, in two weeks time, and until we know the outcome I will rule nothing in and nothing out. I reiterate how very sad and distressed we are about the death of Baby P.” 

The 32-year-old boyfriend of Baby P’s mother and the couple's lodger, Jason Owen, 36, were convicted at the Old Bailey on Tuesday of causing or allowing his death. 

The child’s mother had already pleaded guilty to the same allegation, which carries a maximum 14-year jail term. All three have been remanded in custody and will be sentenced on December 15. 

Baby P boss files complaint
By STAFF REPORTER 
Published: 09 Mar 2009

THE ex children’s services chief who lost her job over the Baby P tragedy has lodged a tribunal claim against her former employer. 
Shamed Sharon Shoesmith, 56, was dismissed without compensation from her senior position at Haringey Council in north London in December. 

It followed a damning report into her department’s failings. 

She lodged a claim against the local authority with the Watford employment tribunal on Friday, a Tribunals Service spokeswoman said. 

A spokesman for Haringey Council said: “We will be contesting this vigorously.” 

Children’s Secretary Ed Balls sent inspectors into the local authority after the trial of those responsible for 17-month-old Baby P’s death. 

The inspectors identified a string of “serious concerns” about Haringey’s child protection services, which they described as “inadequate”. 

Mr Balls removed Ms Shoesmith from her post on December 1 but she remained suspended on full pay until Haringey councillors decided to sack her a week later. 

Ms Shoesmith lost an internal appeal against her dismissal in January. 

Employment law experts say she could be in line for a payout of up to £173,000 if she can prove that the council was wrong to sack her. 

Baby P, who cannot be named for legal reasons, died in a blood-splattered cot in August 2007. 

He had suffered more than 50 injuries at the hands of his mother, her boyfriend and their lodger despite being on the child protection register and receiving 60 contacts with the authorities over eight months. 

Robert Gorrie, leader of the Liberal Democrat opposition on Haringey Council, said: “All employees have the right to due process. 

“However, it is very sad that the only opportunity for real review of the catastrophic failure in Haringey will be in an employment tribunal. 

“What we really need is a public inquiry.” 

Six mothers who campaigned for a song to be released in memory of Baby P say they hope the charity single will reach the number one spot.

Baby P died from horrific injuries despite being on the child protection register

Tell Me There's A Heaven is being re-released on Monday by Chris Rea with profits going to the NSPCC, of which Rea is a patron.

Rea's management had initially said it would not be right to re-release the single without overwhelming demand from the public.

The decision to release the song was made after the mums set up a group on Facebook called A Song For Baby P and asked their 17,000 members to write to the rock star's label.

Lisa Cosburn, 30, from High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, whose one-year-old son Oliver bears a striking resemblance to Baby P, is one of the mothers behind the project.

She said: "Chris Rea's management believed it had to come from the public because it wouldn't be right given the nature of the tragedy for them to push it.

"They have received thousands of messages from people saying they would love to see a single re-released in memory of Baby P."

She added: "It would be an absolute dream if it got to number one. That would be fantastic.

"I think people want a way to remember Baby P and we wanted to actually physically do something to help other children. Buying the single is something people can actually do.

"If you listen to the lyrics they seem so painfully apt to the Baby P story."

Seventeen-month-old Baby P, who cannot be named for legal reasons, died in a blood-splattered cot in August 2007 after suffering more than 50 injuries at the hands of his mother, her boyfriend and their lodger.

He died despite being on the child protection register and receiving 60 contacts with the authorities over eight months.

Sharon Shoesmith, 56, the child service's chief at Haringey Council in north London, was dismissed without compensation in December after a damning report into her department's failings.

The song will be available to download on Monday from iTunes, Tesco, Amazon and Play.com.

It is thought it will cost 79p per download and the mothers have been told that a minimum of 20p from each sale will go to the NSPCC.

'Social Services Covering Up Major Failures' 
5:09am UK, Sunday March 08, 2009 

Dozens of social services departments across the country have been covering up serious failures, an independent review into the death of Baby P will warn.

The review followed the death of Baby P who died after months of abuse

Councils will reportedly be criticised for putting children at risk by overloading social workers with red tape and targets when the report is published on Thursday.

The review by Lord Laming follows the death of 17-month-old Baby P who suffered more than 50 injuries at the hands of his mother, her boyfriend and their lodger.

The toddler's death came despite 60 contacts with the Haringey council over eight months.

Lord Laming's report will say the Government's obsession with reports, "performance indicators" and middle managers has left social workers isolated and overworked.

It will conclude too many social services managers have got no experience of dealing with children and inexperienced social workers are under too much pressure.

The News of the World says the report will conclude that major reforms that were supposed to be introduced four years ago have never been properly implemented.

Lord Laming was asked in November to assess whether reforms introduced following the death of Victoria Climbie in 2000 were being successfully implemented around the country.

In his landmark inquiry into the Climbie case, Lord Laming called for a total overhaul of the child protection system.

Although many of his reforms have been implemented, Lord Laming will say they have failed to deal with problems on the front-line of child protection.

He will warn there are still too many badly performing local authorities.

Information about children at risk of abuse is not widely circulated and social workers in the worst boroughs are overworked, he will add.

Lord Laming will also warn social services have not been properly checked or inspected, allowing poor managers 

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