Minister calls for investigation into senior management at Haringey Council after toddler death case

Published by Jon Land for 24dash.com in Local Government and also in Central Government

Children's Minister Beverley Hughes today demanded more investigations at the local authority responsible for the care of a toddler who died in spite of 60 visits by health and social care workers.

Ms Hughes said further examination was needed of the senior management levels of Haringey Council in north London to see if anyone should take responsibility for the death of the 17-month-old boy.

The toddler, who was on the child protection register, died in a blood-spattered cot in August last year after spending much of his short life being used as a punchbag.

Social workers, police and health professionals failed to save him despite 60 visits over eight months, during which he suffered more than 50 injuries.

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 for the death.

"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.

Ms Hughes's remarks come after the chairwoman of Haringey Local Safeguarding Children Board revealed yesterday that just three people have received formal written warnings over the death of the 17-month-old.

Sharon Shoesmith (pictured, right) said two social workers and a lawyer had received the warnings.

But she said there would be no resignations or sackings over the affair and made a robust defence of the actions of social services.

The death of the toddler comes after Haringey Council was severely criticised over the death of eight-year-old Victoria Climbie in 2000.

Lord Laming, who called for a series of reforms in the wake of her death, described the similarities a "dispiriting".

Ms Hughes has asked him to prepare an independent report into the implementation of the reforms across the country.

Ben Shephard, GMTV presenter, told Ms Hughes that the statement yesterday by Ms Shoesmith that "the very sad fact is that we can't stop people who are determined to kill children", showed "complete apathy" and was "despicable".

He said: "That is exactly what they should be able to do."

Ms Hughes replied: "I think that is right, in a case like this ...and this is the difference with Victoria Climbie largely, where it was known the child was being injured, the child was on the child protection register, all the agencies, unlike in the Victoria Climbie case, were working together.

"Now it is unacceptable that in a case like that, we can't say that we can protect children. That is unacceptable.

"That is why I have asked Lord Laming to give me a view as to what the situation is like in terms of progress of implementing his report across the country.

"It is why I have also said I am looking personally into the case of Haringey. I think what has happened there does need further examination."

She added that the system had been applied "properly" in the case but the way it was implemented and the decisions made in the case were "clearly" "very, very wrong".

Ms Hughes remarks come as campaigners demanded an inquiry into the death of the little boy.

Two days before he died, a doctor failed to spot that his back and ribs were broken, later claiming the child was "miserable and cranky".

The Local Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB) yesterday defended its handling of the case and said no one would lose their job.

Mor Dioum, director of the Victoria Climbie foundation, which campaigns to improve child protection, called for a public inquiry, saying: "This case is worse than Climbie. The signs were there and not followed."

There were "systematic and operational failures that led to the tragic and sad death of such a beautiful child", he said.

The 32-year-old partner of the baby's mother, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was yesterday found guilty of causing or allowing the death of a child.

House guest Jason Owen, 36, of Bromley, Kent was also convicted of the charge at the Old Bailey. Neither showed any emotion.

The baby'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.

The 32-year-old was cleared of murder by jurors after they were directed to convict him of the lesser charge if they could not agree on who caused the injuries in the house where the three adults were living.

Judge Stephen Kramer excused them from further service for 10 years, saying: "You have heard evidence of a harrowing nature and you have seen things which in the course of your everyday life you would not be expected to see."

The court heard that the blond-haired baby who was killed was once a happy and smiling infant.

But after months of being used as a "punchbag" and having his curly blonde hair shaved off he became dead-eyed, hollow-cheeked and unrecognisable.

His mother manipulated professionals who expressed concern about his welfare, once concealing bruises by smearing him with chocolate.

Described by an officer in the case as a "slob, completely divorced from reality", she spent hours in internet chatrooms or watching television.

Her boyfriend, who kept knives and Nazi memorabilia in the house, was "sadistic - fascinated with pain", the detective said.

Owen was living in the house after splitting with his wife and going on the run with his 15-year-old girlfriend.

The baby's mother was twice arrested for suspected child cruelty but told by police that she would not face prosecution on the same day her baby was killed.

Detective Superintendent Caroline Bates said: "With hindsight, having the benefit of a major investigation, we know quite clearly that the mother was lying and trying to subvert agencies involved with the family."

Local MP Lynne Featherstone said the child fell through "safety net after safety net" and called for an independent investigation by the Children's Commissioner.

"The Children's Act was borne out of tragedy in Haringey after the death of Victoria Climbie," she said.

"Yet eight years after her death, the law created to stop this happening again has failed to prevent a similar tragedy in the same borough."

An internal inquiry in the LSCB blamed legal advice taken a week before the baby's death for the decision not to take him into care.

It found that there were "numerous examples" of good practice in the case although there had been "weaknesses" in information flow.

Ms Shoesmith yesterday insisted that lessons had been learned since the death of Victoria Climbie after care workers and police failed to save her.

Ms Shoesmith stressed that "the child was killed by members of his own family" and not by social services.

But councillor Robert Gorrie, Lib Dem leader of the opposition at Haringey Council, said: "Closed-door reviews by the council are completely inadequate.

"The credibility of Haringey's child protection system has been called into question again."

Dr Sabah Al-Zayyat, the Great Ormond Street doctor who missed the baby's broken back, has not had her contract renewed but is appealing against the decision. She may face a General Medical Council disciplinary hearing.

Dr Jane Collins, chief executive of the hospital, said: "It is clear that more should have been done when the child was seen by a paediatrician two days before the child died."

NSPCC acting chief executive Wes Cuell said professionals dedicated to protecting children were being "overwhelmed" by the scale of child abuse and supporting them must be a priority for the Government.