- Balls orders Haringey review
- By STAFF REPORTERS
- The Sun (uk)
- 12/11/2008 Make a Comment
- Contributed by: MrNatural ( 6 articles in 2008 )
THE Children's Secretary has ordered a new review into child protection at the local authority responsible for the care of Baby P.
Ed Balls today ordered the inquiry of children’s welfare services in Haringey, in the wake of the case of the 17-month-old boy who died after being horribly abused.
Mr Balls said the review will involve an “urgent and thorough inspection of the quality of practice and management of all services which contribute to the effective safeguarding of children” in the north London borough.
And he announced the director of children’s services in Hampshire, John Coughlan, has been drafted in immediately to work alongside his counterpart in Haringey to ensure proper procedures for safeguarding children are in place and are being properly applied.
Mr Balls today received a report into the Baby P case, commissioned from an independent reviewer by Haringey’s Local Safeguarding Children Board.
2003: Mum weds baby’s dad after meeting him aged 16.
1 March 2006: Baby P is born. Lives with his dad and mum in Haringey, North London.
June 2006: Mum starts relationship with boyfriend.
17 July 2006: The baby’s dad leaves home in Haringey.
September 2006: Mum treated for depression and tells GP six-month-old was bruising easily.
13 October 2006: Baby taken to GP with bruising on head and chest. Mum claims he fell.
November 2006: Mum’s boyfriend moves into home but this is kept from police and social workers.
11 December 2006: Baby taken to GP with injuries to forehead, nose and chest. GP sends child to Whittington Hospital and puts paediatricians on “full alert”. Social services contacted. Mum claims he fell off chair and was scratched by their dog.
19 December: Mum arrested on suspicion of assaulting her baby and released on bail. Child is handed to a female friend.
22 December: Baby placed on child-protection register - eight months before his death.
He said the Serious Case Review indicated there were “a number of failings of practice and management by the agencies involved” in Baby P’s case.
He also said the independent report showed that agencies in Haringey had “singly and collectively failed to adhere to the procedures for the proper management of child protection cases”.
There was evidence of “poor quality practice, management and supervision of staff in all agencies”.
Bloodstained ... pictures of toddler's clothing shown to trial jury as evidence
Mr Balls said: “The case of Baby P is tragic and appalling. It is our duty to take whatever action is needed to ensure that such a tragedy doesn’t happen again, that lessons are learned and that children in Haringey are safe.”
The review will be conducted jointly by Ofsted, the Commission for Healthcare Audit and Inspection and the Chief Inspector of Constabulary. Inspectors with specialist expertise and experience in child protection are due to produce an initial report by December 1.
David Cameron today called for heads to roll over a council's failure to prevent the tragic death of the tortured baby.
In a stinging attack on Haringey council he said: “Those whose job it was to oversee this system have failed. They must admit that and pay a price.
‘ they singly and collectively failed to adhere to the procedures for the proper management of child protection cases ’
“Society cannot work unless individuals carry the consequence of their actions. We've had a raft of excuses and not one apology. The buck has got to stop somewhere.”
The Tory leader also slammed an "unacceptable" Government decision to let Sharon Shoesmith, the chair of Haringey Safeguarding Children Board, conduct the review into the tragic death of Baby P.
The little boy was seen SIXTY times by health or social workers during the eight months in which he was brutally abused.
The tot had more than FIFTY injuries or bruises.
When he was seen by a doctor two days before he died, he had a broken back, eight fractured ribs and was paralysed from the waist down.
Horror ... cop image of injuries
Yet NO ONE realised the danger he was in. And NO ONE saved him.
He was on the child protection register of Haringey Council in North London - the same authority that failed to help doomed eight-year-old Victoria Climbie in the case that shocked the nation in 2000.
And Mr Cameron hammered home the point today saying: “This happened in the same children’s services department that was responsible for Victoria Climbie and yet again nobody is taking responsibility, nobody has resigned."
To date two social workers and a lawyer had received written warnings but refused to name them.
Tiny Baby P — hollow-cheeked and with his curly hair shaved off — died in his blood-spattered cot hours after he was punched so hard in the mouth he swallowed a bottom tooth.
That was probably the blow that finally killed him, causing a neck injury that affected his breathing, the Old Bailey heard yesterday.
The full horror of Baby P’s fate unfolded before the court as his stepdad and a lodger stood trial for his murder.
They were told how the tot’s jobless stepdad, a 32-year-old sadist who cannot be named, tortured the mite to “toughen him up”.
The child’s 27-year-old mother, who also cannot be named, and paedophile lodger Jason Owen, 36, stood by as the abuse went on.
The jury found the stepdad — a collector of Nazi memorabilia including knives — guilty of causing or allowing Baby P’s death. He was cleared of murder as jurors could not agree on which of the three adults caused all the tot’s injuries.
The Sun can reveal he was once arrested on suspicion of torturing his dying gran to force her to change her will. No charges were pressed.
Baby P’s mother, described as a hardcore porn-watching “slob,” admitted allowing him to die.
National Front member Owen, who joined the pair in their filthy council house with his 15-year-old girlfriend, was convicted of the same charge. All three face up to 14 years’ jail.
Baby P’s back was broken by being forced over a bent knee or banister, the court heard.
His ears were torn where he had been lifted off the ground and fingernails, fingertips and a toenail were missing. He had lesions on his scalp — and his lips were ripped.
The stepdad also “trained” Baby P to sit on the floor with his head between his legs for half an hour until he clicked his fingers. Police images of the tot’s injuries and stained clothes were shown to jurors.
Prosecuting QC Sally O’Neill told how a family friend revealed the depth of the abuse as the child was used like a punchbag.
She said the stepdad would “pick him up by his throat, punch him and spin him around on the computer chair until he fell off”.
Time after time, social workers noticed marks on the boy’s skin. But they fell for a pack of lies they were told by the mum. She claimed Baby P was a “head-banger” who kept bumping into hard objects.
They did not see through her even though she smeared CHOCOLATE over his injuries to conceal them.
The blunders continued even after the mother was arrested on suspicion of assaulting Baby P. The child was handed to a friend. But social workers soon returned him to his mum. He died the day after she was told she would face NO charges.
No one realised the stepdad was living in the house even though three dogs were there, including a rottweiler owned by the brute.
Police said they would have objected if they had known either man was there. The £110,000-a-year head of Haringey Children’s Services refused to resign last night — as it emerged SHE had led an “independent” review of the case. Sharon Shoesmith concluded NONE of her social workers should be sacked.
She blamed paediatrician Sabah Alzayyat, the doctor who failed to notice the tot’s broken back.
Child protection charity Kidscape called for “heads to roll” and said: “This child was seen 60 times and yet nobody did a thing. It’s pathetic.”
Children’s Minister Beverley Hughes announced a nationwide review of child protection services.
Today Ms Hughes said further examination was needed of the senior management levels of Haringey Council to see if anyone should take responsibility for the death of Baby P.
Ms Hughes said she believed the chief executive of Haringey and councillors needed to look at whether anyone at a higher level should be held accountable.
“I think the council has a responsibility, it is an elected body, it has the responsibility to ask itself the question, in the light of this case, whether there is an accountability at another level in the management of this case,” she told GMTV.
Ed Balls today ordered the inquiry of children’s welfare services in Haringey, in the wake of the case of the 17-month-old boy who died after being horribly abused.
Mr Balls said the review will involve an “urgent and thorough inspection of the quality of practice and management of all services which contribute to the effective safeguarding of children” in the north London borough.
Appalling
And he announced the director of children’s services in Hampshire, John Coughlan, has been drafted in immediately to work alongside his counterpart in Haringey to ensure proper procedures for safeguarding children are in place and are being properly applied.
Mr Balls today received a report into the Baby P case, commissioned from an independent reviewer by Haringey’s Local Safeguarding Children Board.
Betrayal after betrayal: Child's short, tragic life
2003: Mum weds baby’s dad after meeting him aged 16.
1 March 2006: Baby P is born. Lives with his dad and mum in Haringey, North London.
June 2006: Mum starts relationship with boyfriend.
17 July 2006: The baby’s dad leaves home in Haringey.
September 2006: Mum treated for depression and tells GP six-month-old was bruising easily.
13 October 2006: Baby taken to GP with bruising on head and chest. Mum claims he fell.
November 2006: Mum’s boyfriend moves into home but this is kept from police and social workers.
11 December 2006: Baby taken to GP with injuries to forehead, nose and chest. GP sends child to Whittington Hospital and puts paediatricians on “full alert”. Social services contacted. Mum claims he fell off chair and was scratched by their dog.
19 December: Mum arrested on suspicion of assaulting her baby and released on bail. Child is handed to a female friend.
22 December: Baby placed on child-protection register - eight months before his death.
He also said the independent report showed that agencies in Haringey had “singly and collectively failed to adhere to the procedures for the proper management of child protection cases”.
There was evidence of “poor quality practice, management and supervision of staff in all agencies”.
Bloodstained ... pictures of toddler's clothing shown to trial jury as evidenceMr Balls said: “The case of Baby P is tragic and appalling. It is our duty to take whatever action is needed to ensure that such a tragedy doesn’t happen again, that lessons are learned and that children in Haringey are safe.”
The review will be conducted jointly by Ofsted, the Commission for Healthcare Audit and Inspection and the Chief Inspector of Constabulary. Inspectors with specialist expertise and experience in child protection are due to produce an initial report by December 1.
David Cameron today called for heads to roll over a council's failure to prevent the tragic death of the tortured baby.
In a stinging attack on Haringey council he said: “Those whose job it was to oversee this system have failed. They must admit that and pay a price.
‘ they singly and collectively failed to adhere to the procedures for the proper management of child protection cases ’
“Society cannot work unless individuals carry the consequence of their actions. We've had a raft of excuses and not one apology. The buck has got to stop somewhere.”
The Tory leader also slammed an "unacceptable" Government decision to let Sharon Shoesmith, the chair of Haringey Safeguarding Children Board, conduct the review into the tragic death of Baby P.
The little boy was seen SIXTY times by health or social workers during the eight months in which he was brutally abused.
The tot had more than FIFTY injuries or bruises.
When he was seen by a doctor two days before he died, he had a broken back, eight fractured ribs and was paralysed from the waist down.
Horror ... cop image of injuriesYet NO ONE realised the danger he was in. And NO ONE saved him.
He was on the child protection register of Haringey Council in North London - the same authority that failed to help doomed eight-year-old Victoria Climbie in the case that shocked the nation in 2000.
And Mr Cameron hammered home the point today saying: “This happened in the same children’s services department that was responsible for Victoria Climbie and yet again nobody is taking responsibility, nobody has resigned."
To date two social workers and a lawyer had received written warnings but refused to name them.
Tiny Baby P — hollow-cheeked and with his curly hair shaved off — died in his blood-spattered cot hours after he was punched so hard in the mouth he swallowed a bottom tooth.
That was probably the blow that finally killed him, causing a neck injury that affected his breathing, the Old Bailey heard yesterday.
The full horror of Baby P’s fate unfolded before the court as his stepdad and a lodger stood trial for his murder.
They were told how the tot’s jobless stepdad, a 32-year-old sadist who cannot be named, tortured the mite to “toughen him up”.
The child’s 27-year-old mother, who also cannot be named, and paedophile lodger Jason Owen, 36, stood by as the abuse went on.
The jury found the stepdad — a collector of Nazi memorabilia including knives — guilty of causing or allowing Baby P’s death. He was cleared of murder as jurors could not agree on which of the three adults caused all the tot’s injuries.
Filthy
The Sun can reveal he was once arrested on suspicion of torturing his dying gran to force her to change her will. No charges were pressed.
Baby P’s mother, described as a hardcore porn-watching “slob,” admitted allowing him to die.
National Front member Owen, who joined the pair in their filthy council house with his 15-year-old girlfriend, was convicted of the same charge. All three face up to 14 years’ jail.
Baby P’s back was broken by being forced over a bent knee or banister, the court heard.
His ears were torn where he had been lifted off the ground and fingernails, fingertips and a toenail were missing. He had lesions on his scalp — and his lips were ripped.
The stepdad also “trained” Baby P to sit on the floor with his head between his legs for half an hour until he clicked his fingers. Police images of the tot’s injuries and stained clothes were shown to jurors.
Prosecuting QC Sally O’Neill told how a family friend revealed the depth of the abuse as the child was used like a punchbag.
She said the stepdad would “pick him up by his throat, punch him and spin him around on the computer chair until he fell off”.
Time after time, social workers noticed marks on the boy’s skin. But they fell for a pack of lies they were told by the mum. She claimed Baby P was a “head-banger” who kept bumping into hard objects.
They did not see through her even though she smeared CHOCOLATE over his injuries to conceal them.
The blunders continued even after the mother was arrested on suspicion of assaulting Baby P. The child was handed to a friend. But social workers soon returned him to his mum. He died the day after she was told she would face NO charges.
No one realised the stepdad was living in the house even though three dogs were there, including a rottweiler owned by the brute.
Police said they would have objected if they had known either man was there. The £110,000-a-year head of Haringey Children’s Services refused to resign last night — as it emerged SHE had led an “independent” review of the case. Sharon Shoesmith concluded NONE of her social workers should be sacked.
She blamed paediatrician Sabah Alzayyat, the doctor who failed to notice the tot’s broken back.
Child protection charity Kidscape called for “heads to roll” and said: “This child was seen 60 times and yet nobody did a thing. It’s pathetic.”
Children’s Minister Beverley Hughes announced a nationwide review of child protection services.
Today Ms Hughes said further examination was needed of the senior management levels of Haringey Council to see if anyone should take responsibility for the death of Baby P.
Ms Hughes said she believed the chief executive of Haringey and councillors needed to look at whether anyone at a higher level should be held accountable.
“I think the council has a responsibility, it is an elected body, it has the responsibility to ask itself the question, in the light of this case, whether there is an accountability at another level in the management of this case,” she told GMTV.
More Background
Source: https://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article1920933.ece
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