Baby's death sparks services review
Cabinet Minister Ed Balls has ordered a review of children's welfare services in Haringey, in the wake of the case of the 17-month-old boy known as Baby P 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 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.
On Wednesday Mr Balls received a report into the Baby P case, commissioned from an independent reviewer by Haringey's Local Safeguarding Children Board. 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.
The toddler died in a blood-spattered cot in August last year after spending much of his short life being used as a punchbag.
It was revealed on Tuesday that social workers, police and health professionals failed to save him despite 60 visits over eight months, during which he suffered more than 50 injuries.
The death of the little boy comes as a heavy blow to Haringey, which was severely criticised following the death of eight-year-old Victoria Climbie in 2000.
Mr Balls 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". And there was evidence of "poor quality practice, management and supervision of staff in all agencies". Health professionals "appear to have failed to follow the appropriate procedures when there was evidence of a child having suffered non-accidental injuries". And there was "inappropriate use of family friends as temporary carers for Baby P".
