"Haringey council tried to crush our family"

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Permalink Reply by Alan Stanton on July 26, 2013 at 9:55

You say you "refer to current management" . But your comments on this thread refer to the CYPS department. 

As usual Clive, I am sure you will continue to believe only what you want to believe. Selecting only facts and speculations which support your own fixed view.

In an ironic way, your closed minded 'Am-I-right-or-am-I-right?' approach replicates many of the people you criticise. It would apply to many of the sorry parade of managers who gave evidence at the Laming Inquiry. (Yes, I've read it. Many times. With shame and pain. I also read the transcripts of evidence each evening during the Inquiry; and attended some of the sessions.)

Plainly, we aren't going to agree about how organisations can truly be improved and reformed.  But before you shoot off another angry tirade, let me repeat my request.

Please show this thread to AB and CD and ask them to give you their views as social work professionals as well as involved parents.

(Tottenham Hale ward councillor)

Permalink Reply by Alan Stanton on August 17, 2013 at 16:36

Below is a copy of an email about the AB CD case which I sent on Friday evening 16 August to Ms Libby Blake, the Director of Haringey Children and Young People's Service.

I copied it to most Haringey councillors and to the Chief Executive Nick Walkley.

The email is short and and - I hope - clear and straightforward. But partly for newer councillors, I added two paragraphs from the Report by Lord Laming into the circumstances leading to the death of Victoria Climbié. I hope these will be self explanatory.

----- Original Message -----
From:  Alan Stanton, Tottenham Hale ward councillor
To: Libby Blake
Cc: Haringey councillors and Haringey Chief Executive
Sent: Friday, August 16, 2013 7:35 PM
Subject: AB CD and your comments to the Scrutiny Panel and recent emails

Dear Ms Blake,

I have been closely following the email correspondence between you and AB and CD, parties in the recent Judicial Review case. As, I imagine, have most councillors as well as many people outside the Council.

I also watched the recent webcast of the Scrutiny meeting several times.

Unfortunately, I have to tell you that I found the comments you made on the webcast extremely unhelpful. And despite the upbeat comments in your recent emails, it appears to me that you have yet to respond clearly and fully to any of the detailed and specific points made by AB and CD in their emails to councillors.

Can I please request therefore that you review both your comments on the webcast and the emails from AB and CD and provide all councillors with a full, detailed and accurate response to each and every substantive issue they are now raising.

Alan Stanton

___________________________________________________

N.B.

This afternoon, yet again, I pulled out my copy of the Laming Enquiry into the death of Victoria Climbié. Among the sections I read again were some paragraphs I've returned to often since I and many of my colleagues attended some Enquiry sessions and spent evening after evening reading the transcripts of the days evidence as they appeared online.

Lord Laming wrote at paragraph 1.26:

"Some used the defence “no one ever told me”. The chief executive of Brent council, Gareth Daniel, chose to describe his role as “strategic” and to distance himself from the day-to-day realities. Gina Adamou, a Haringey councillor, said, “If I ask questions she [Mary Richardson, the director of social services] would say ‘everything is okay, do not worry, if there is a problem I will let you know’.” I find this an unacceptable state of affairs. Elected councillors and senior officers must ensure that they are kept fully informed about the delivery of services to the populations they serve, and they must not accept at face value what they are told. There was also a reluctance among senior officers to accept there was anything they could have done for Victoria. The former chief executive of Haringey council, Gurbux Singh, said, “There is the issue of resources ... but beyond that I cannot honestly think of what else I could have actually done to ensure that the tragedy which happened did not happen.” This is not a view I share."

Then, at paragraph 5.192

"As I stated at the outset of this section of the Report, I have little regard for the concept of what Mr Daniel referred to as “professional distance” between those at the top of the organisation and those working on the front line. It is the job of senior officers and elected councillors to inform themselves about the quality of services being offered by their front-line staff, and to take appropriate action to remedy deficiencies as they are revealed."

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Permalink Reply by Clive Carter on August 17, 2013 at 19:47

Not all Councillors are paying attention to the repercussions of the AB & CD case, so all I can say is, well done Alan. Attached is last Thursday's Ham and High article on the subject.

Attachments:

• Head of child services 'has learnt nothing' claim furious parents.pdf, 654 KB

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Permalink Reply by Alan Stanton on August 17, 2013 at 22:04

Which, Clive, is one of my three reasons for quoting Herbert Laming.

The first reason is a gentle reminder for Ms Libby Blake that senior staff should be answering councillors' questions fully and candidly.

The second reason is to remind all Haringey councillors that they are responsible for what happens. And whether in the "cabinet" or left on a shelf in the cupboard, they have a vital responsibility to ask hard questions. Sceptically - though always fairly - probing the answers they get.

All too often in Haringey we see "cabinet" members especially, who enter the HQ at River Park House with at least some minimal ability to think for themselves; and maybe even a wish to challenge the received wisdoms. But many soon start behaving as Lord Laming warned. They take what they're told at face value. It's as if they turn into what you might call "Stepford councillors",  obediently mouthing whatever they're told to say by the Dear Leader and her senior staff.

When things go wrong they close ranks, denying their own responsibility and the organisation's failings. In the worst cases they excuse the inexcusable. Most scarily, they come to believe the obfuscation, Press Releases and - sometimes - lies.

My third reason for posting my email here and quoting Lord Laming is because I believe that Haringey residents also have some responsibility in this process. On Thursday 22 May 2014 we have an opportunity to hold councillors to account.

(Tottenham Hale ward councillor until May 2014)  

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