Another Failure By Social Services

[Snoopy]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/3441598/Abused-toddler-visited-60-times-by-care-workers-before-his-death.html

I don't watch much TV but last night I caught the news and was made extremely angry by this woman, Sharon Shoesmith, and her statement following the conviction of three people for the murder of another toddler.

It emerged on Tuesday that just three people from the Haringey Local Safeguarding Children Board (HLSCB) received written warnings about the affair - two social workers and a lawyer.

Its chairman Sharon Shoesmith insisted no one would be sacked: "This was a family that needed, and was given, extensive help and support.

"The very sad fact is that we can't stop people who are determined to kill children. I am satisfied that the action that should have been taken was taken.

60 visits from social workers, involvement of the police and examinations by yet another Asian doctor who missed the blindingly obvious and who is now lying through her teeth to avoid any sanctions and "I am satisfied that the action that should have been taken was taken"? NO! You stupid, overpaid, self satisfied bitch. If the action that should have been taken had been taken that child would be alive today. YOU ALL FAILED HIM YOU BASTARDS!

Take note of the excuse "The very sad fact is that we can't stop people who are determined to kill children."
No you can't if you have people who go out, snatch a kid and murder it at random (See Brady and Hindley) but you had this child in your care and returned him to abuse and his death. You had people watching this child and they all missed eight broken ribs, bleeding from his ears and a broken back over a period of months. You and your team deserve the same sentence as the killers because you indeed are as guilty of neglecting and abusing that child as they are.

[Nick]

Don't start me off about effing social workers 

[Snoopy]

I wasn't trying to ~ merely expressing my anger at the latest cock-up and the self satisfied self investigation that clears them of all blame. 

With your TV in a box you will not have seen the oh so "Right on", long nosed, crop haired, smug bitch on the news calmly excusing it all as someone elses fault.

[GROWLER]

Same old shite being spouted.

"We must learn from this, and ensure this NEVER hapens again"

Bloody disgrace, but they'll quietly slink away and carry on drawing their over inflated salaries every month, pointing fingers at each other whilst sitting in the office sipping nettle tea and custard doughnuts.

[Barman]

It is outrageous I agree Snoopy...

They should sack the whole bloody lot of them - everybody associated with the case and no gold plated pension either... The only thing I'd give them would be a loaded revolver so they could do the honourable thing... 

Meanwhile other social services remove a child who is overweight... what the fuck is going on in the UK? 

[Darwins Selection]

I find this case very distressing as well, but I fear that the balance may never be right.

My eldest Grandson was an accident-prone nightmare in a very careful and loving family, he was forever running into things, falling over, trapping fingers in doors etc. Plenty of this was witnessed by the rest of the family. He was well known in the casualty department.

Social Services took a serious interest in him and were very intrusive for nearly 2 years, much to my Daughter's distress.

We often speculated that the Social Workers wanted to keep it going, as visiting a nice house in a posh area was preferable to a sink estate where it was touch and go if their car had wheels when they left.

I have no answers, but it is not all one way.

[The Moan Ranger]

Seen elsewhere, but I wholeheartedly agree:-

If an Air Traffic Controller screws up and kills people, he is charged with manslaughter and faces jail.
If an aircraft mechanic screws up and kills people he is charged with manslaughter and faces jail
If a soldier or policeman screws up and kills someone, he is charged with manslaughter and faces jail.
If you screw up while driving your car and kill someone, you will be charged and face jail.
If a social worker screws up and a child dies, there will be handwringing MPs, commissions, reccommendations, promises that it will not happen again, social workers off sick on "stress", etc etc.
But NOT a single one of those who let a child die will ever face jail.

[barmisspah?]

I know it's the Sun, but do go to thesun.co.uk and sign the petition for these people to be sacked.

[Barman]

I know it's the Sun, but do go to thesun.co.uk and sign the petition for these people to be sacked.

Is there a 'hanged' petition there too...? 

[Grumpmeister]

This just gets worse and worse. It isnt just the fault of the local authority, governmnental procedures would appear to be specifically designed with sloping shoulder mentality.

A social worker with concerns over the child protection standards and procedures enacted by Haringey wrote to the Department of Health only to get passed around in a circle talking to everyone up to and including Patty Hewitt and by the time she was sent back to group she originally contacted the council had taken out an injunction against her.

A whistle-blower warned the government of alleged failings in child protection in Haringey six months before Baby P died, it has emerged.

Former social worker Nevres Kemal sent a letter about her concerns to the Department of Health in February 2007.

It was passed to the Department for Children, Schools and Families, which said proper procedures were followed.

Baby P, 17 months, died in August 2007 following abuse. His mother and two men were convicted of causing his death.

Lawyer Lawrence Davies told BBC Radio 4's Today programme his client's letter expressed worry that children in the borough were "at risk".

This was despite an inquiry into the killing of eight-year-old Victoria Climbie - she died from abuse and neglect in the same borough eight years ago.

Allegations

Ms Kemal believed recommendations made by Lord Lamming following that inquiry were still not being followed.

The Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) confirmed it received a letter dated 16 February 2007 that arose from an employment tribunal and contained "an allegation that child protection procedures were not being followed in Haringey".

The letter was sent to the then health secretary, Patricia Hewitt. It was then forwarded on to the DCSF.

She told the BBC that correct procedures were followed.

A DCSF spokeswoman said the department's reply on 21 March "made the point that ministers could not comment on the specific details of the employment tribunal case".

"The permanent secretary of the DCSF has looked at the reply and is confident that the proper procedures were followed," added the spokeswoman.

Mr Davies said: "If the social care inspectorate had acted on it or the ministers had acted on it, it seems hard to believe that the situation in which Baby P was seen 60 times in total... presumably several times after February, couldn't have been averted."

The social worker, who no longer works for Haringey Council, cannot discuss the issue as the local authority has taken out an injunction preventing her from doing so.

'Full circle'

Mr Davies said his client was "pushed from pillar to post" before finally being advised to tell the inspectorate.

"We just went full circle, really.

"By that time we had an injunction against us so we couldn't go back to the inspectorate. The inspectorate had been properly advised at the time and had done nothing."

Mr Davies said he was in the process of appealing against the ban because his client possessed information that would be of interest to the government inquiry into the Baby P case.

He said: "A lot of what she has to say will be useful to the process."

He said his client was effectively calling for a public inquiry and that the letter stated the "situation seemed to be out of control".

Baby P died in August last year after suffering 50 injuries including a broken back, fractured ribs and extensive bruising. 
No-one at Haringey Council has lost their job over the case

A total of four separate inquiries have been ordered into the death, which happened despite the child being on the "at risk" register and receiving more than 60 visits from health and social work professionals and police over eight months.

On Thursday, Haringey Council's cabinet member for children, Liz Santry, said: "For the past 15 months in Haringey, there has been a huge amount of anguish and endless discussion about what we might have done to save this little boy.

"And I have to say also that we are truly sorry that we did not do more to protect him."

An official inquiry into the Victoria Climbie case by Lord Laming made a raft of recommendations for child protection procedures, and the government has now asked him to check on their implementation across England.

The other inquiries are:

A government investigation of the role of all agencies in the case of Baby P, including the health authority, police and Haringey Council. The review by Ofsted, the Healthcare Commission and the Chief Inspector of Constabulary is due to make an initial report by 1 December
An "immediate independent review" announced by Haringey Council to examine its staff's actions and child protection across the borough
A review by the body that regulates social workers, the General Social Care Council, to look into potential breaches of its code of practice

There have also been calls from MPs for an independent public inquiry.

No-one at Haringey Council has lost their job over the case, but children's minister Ed Balls has told the BBC: "If there are failures, then there's got to be accountability."

The council welcomed the government review, saying it would be "open and co-operative" with inspectors and would implement the findings "swiftly and comprehensively".

It also says it moved swiftly to check and strengthen its child protection procedures after the death of Baby P, who cannot be named for legal reasons.

The minister for London, Tony McNulty, said government departments would be looking again at the contents of the letter:

He told the BBC: "What I think shouldn't happen is people to look at this - as they do other things - with wonderful hindsight.

After a nine-week trial at the Old Bailey, Jason Owen, 36, from Bromley, and a 32-year-old man were convicted of "causing or allowing the death of a child or vulnerable person".

The boy's mother had already pleaded guilty to the same charge, and all three will be sentenced on 15 December.

The mother and her 32-year-old boyfriend also cannot be named.

[Snoopy]

Everyone says the correct procedures were followed ~ I do not doubt that.

BUT

Why does no one ask if the correct procedures are in fact themselves correct? 

[Nick]

Dear Ms Featherstone

I think the people who should truly say sorry for such events are the opinion leaders of the Guardian. Please allow me to explain.

Last week I visited (as a doctor) a family in a council estate. The mother was concerned about her 12 year old son. She was very pleased that her older son was now on incapacity and would therefore do well for himself in terms of money. There is nothing wrong with this older boy that makes him incapacitated, but that is another story. She also had a 14 year old daughter, who while I was there, constantly argued with her mother demanding money for cigarettes. The three children had three different fathers, all absent. The kids, while I could see were still children, gleamed with malignant insolence. I can see them turning into damaged adults. I feel sorry for the trap they are in – the trap created directly by the welfare state whereby the family, and all those in the neighbourhood, see welfare as a lifestyle option. They live in squalor but have more wealth than most people I knew in India; they certainly have more material comforts than I ever had growing up in Delhi.

The Guardian describes such families as poor. The Labour party wants to throw money at the family. The Guardian readers blame Margaret Thatcher for this state of affairs, smug in their modern pieties, their intellectual laziness, and their stupidity masquerading as sanctimonious concern. I used to work with slum children in Delhi; they had very little, but even the most physically disabled amongst them made an effort.

There is no hope for Britian. Civilisations dont die, they commit suicide. And before they commit suicide, they read and believe the Guardian.

I truly and deeply feel sorry for all the children who are the victims of the welfare state. Things are much, much worse for the slum children in India, I saw more dignity among them and certainly greater hope.

I am not sure if you will understand this message. I am too tired to explain further. Either you will get or you wont. Either way, it will make no difference to anything.