Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Haringey Council Leader resigns
Tags for Forum Posts: Ally Pally, george meehan, haringey chief executive, liz santry
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Clive Carter on
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YOU are right Fippo that the public and the media are indeed not the right people to be monitoring this, in the sense that they are not the ideal monitors. But they must. Council officials who should monitor child protection, have been part of the problem.
We ought to be able to rely on established procedures and process and the public shouldn’t have to worry about these things – they should be able to be taken for granted.
But we are in an extraordinary situation where these very processes and procedures are part of the problem. Haringey is not operating normally.
I welcome all the measures Children's Minister Ed Balls has taken, but worry that it will not be enough. For the sake of at risk children and for no other reason, Children’s Services need to be taken under direct government control as an emergency measure. Full justice for the baby murdered while on the At Risk Register, demands a public enquiry. The council needs deep cleansing.
Access to information. – you raise this important subject. I observe that one of the effects of propaganda is that those who issue it – and those close to them – begin to believe their own propaganda. This council has put much effort into what could charitably be called PR. The "Better Haringey" campaign (meaningless) was a direct response to the bad publicity after the torture and murder of Victoria Climbié. This council is often secretive and their instinct after failure is to cover-up and launch PR campaigns. The media have been doing a creditable job in uncovering what Haringey have tried to cover-up.
The Sun newspaper, so reviled by some who consider themselves superior, has today posted two stories that will doubtless be branded sensationalist. (I think the red-top tabloids are perhaps not best at lengthy in-depth investigation, but can still serve a useful purpose in alerting in a loud, even sometimes uncouth manner, things that do need attention drawn to them).
I am ashamed to share the same first name as one of the suspended managers. His sexual orientation is not relevant here, but his attitude to his job is and the public who pay large salaries to these people have a right to know. Shoesmith may be in line for a huge pension contribution – up to £1.5 million pounds.
“Finger pointing and constantly looking backwards” This is another way of describing what the police do after a crime is committed. It shouldn’t be used as any excuse to escape responsibility for what has happened. If we never point fingers, some people tend not to act responsibly and if we don’t look backwards, we don’t know where we’ve been and how we arrived where we are.
Our council’s culture is sick whereby a social worker like Nevres Kemal who tried to blow the whistle was sacked and vilified, whereas loyalists who kept their heads down - and who had culpability - found the council doing everything to keep them in position. It would suit those with a vested interest in the status quo for child protection issues to be swept under the carpet.
How many chances has Haringey had to learn? George Santayana said something along the lines of, those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.
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Permalink Reply by John McMullan on
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I feel dirty for clicking through on that link. Very progressive, thanks.
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John, I hope your feeling "dirty" after seeing the newspaper's story doesn't reflect homophobia.
Any views about the real point that I was trying make, about the amount of work alleged to have been performed by Preece?
Do you care if managers in our Borough are doing little or nothing, particularly in an area as sensitive area as child care?
It is perhaps understandable that those of us who do contribute by way of taxation to the council finances, may feel more concern than those that do not, about whether cash is being spent wisely and well.
The current Head of Finance at Haringey may not be in his job for much longer; there have been widespread calls for his resignation.
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I SHOULD clarify that 'Head of Finance' (above) means "The Cabinet Member for Resources" who for the time being is Cllr. Charles Adje (White Hart Lane). Before news about Baby P broke, there were calls from both sides of the council for Adje's resignation. This is a man out of his depth with large sums of money.
We should not forget the Walklate Report, which is a damning indictment of Cllr. Adje's pushing for a Licence for Firoka at Alexandra Palace, which cost the council (that's us) millions.
See new thread.
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Permalink Reply by phippsofacto on
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Indeed, it isn't relevant. Therefore no need to post it.
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Permalink Reply by Liz on
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It appears that Alan Johnson has ordered a review of the four NHS trusts involved in this case: North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust, the Whittington Hospital NHS Trust, Haringey Teaching Primary Care Trust, and Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Trust.
Read more here
We may possibly expect other agencies to be doing the same. Underlines I think Bob's point about lack of meaningful communication between all the agencies at work here and the need to ensure that all those professions who deal with children must be in constant communication with each other and have a committment to the child.
A comment by a Labour MP on Newsnight last night sadly reflected my own experience of child protection that often key people did not turn up for meetings about children at risk. I also found that meetings that should have included those who were closest to children on an everyday basis, such as their form tutor, were not invited to meetings or included in the information distribution, and this was in a borough with a good track record.
If we are to truly protect the innocent from those who would do them harm, we in the 'caring' professions have to start talking and listening to each other and never lose sight of the main focus of our work, the child.
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Liz, I completely agree about the need for the focus on the child. The action being taken by the Government appears to be not a moment too soon.
The London Evening Standard, part of the media that has done so much to shed light on what has happened, tonight carries a story about a Second Baby P case in Haringey.
Within the last few weeks I heard on the grapevine that the state of Haringey's Childrens' Services was "much worse" than [even] the Baby P case disclosed, although I still cannot imagine what could be worse than the Baby P case. I suspect there is much more to come out and this might help explain the extraordinary and unequivocal nature of the Ofsted Report.
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Sharon Shoesmith is interviewed in the Guardian this morning. A disgusting witchhunt in all senses of the word.
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Permalink Reply by Alan Stanton on
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You can download a podcast of the Guardian interview with Sharon Shoesmith HERE.
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The BBC website has further details - including a quote from Mr Justice Foskett about the:
"very narrow focus to the issues that I am required to consider".
He also set out the issues his judgement does not cover - including:" . . . whether the Claimant is or is not entitled to compensation for the loss of her job."
(Labour councillor & candidate Tottenham Hale ward.)
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