Child Welfare fails again.
:(
Councils flayed for failing to save child
LONDON: Two London councils have been criticised for failing to protect a six-month-old baby who was murdered by her father despite social workers and police being warned of the danger.
The girl, known as Baby H, died after her father smashed her head against the floor in a fit of rage.
A Serious Case Review criticised Tower Hamlets council for failing to protect the baby after it had been warned about the father. It also criticised Redbridge council, which took over the case when the mother and child were relocated.
Baby H’s mother had reported the abusive 29-year-old to police after he repeatedly attacked her, on one occasion-pointing a knife at her stomach while she was pregnant.
She told officers he would pinch the baby every time she started crying. The father was arrested but released with a caution when the mother withdrew her statement. Crucially, the abuse was not recorded as a crime.
A month later, the mother again called police when the father tried to snatch Baby H.
Social workers placed the mother and child in emergency accommodation in Redbridge but a social worker failed to highlight the allegations of abuse when files were transferred.
Within days the father traced his family, forcing police to step in again when he tried to take the baby away.
Redbridge council was told, but social workers again decided no further action was needed. Seven weeks later, in April last year, Baby H was dead.
The Old Bailey heard how the father got angry when Baby H vomited as he was feeding her. He slapped the baby across the face, dangled her by her legs with her head towards the floor, before hurling her down, shouting, “I don’t give a damn”. He was jailed for life. – The Independent
Can't do that .. Haringey is a "Nuclear Free Zone" .. It says so on their billboards.
"A man may fight for many things.His country,his friends,his principles,the glistening tear on the cheek of a golden child.
But personally,I'd mud wrestle my own mother for a ton of cash, an amusing clock and a sackful of porn."
Blackadder.
Ya, targets suck. I also know from experience that the social workers are under a lot of pressure not to make mistakes and get sued for crying abuse when no abuse is happening. Better to let a child die (who's going to sue then right?) than wrongly accuse parents of abuse.
Well it shows that government targets are not the answer.
Serious questions need to be asked about why the council took children off the register, only to put them back again. It either means that the social workers are inept or that they are trying to play with government targets / figures.
From Today's Evening Standard:
'More Baby Ps' fear as Haringey takes children off risk register
Tim Ross, Education Correspondent
HARINGEY council was today accused of putting dozens more children at risk after taking them off the child protection register too soon.
New government figures reveal the council removed 30 children from the register only to put them back on less than a year later.
The Conservatives warned that government targets were forcing social workers to remove children from their books too soon. Across England, 4,600 children were taken off protection plans to be returned within months.
Inspectors revealed last week that 210 children died from abuse or neglect in 16 months in England.
Councils draw up protection plans when they believe a child is at risk of significant harm. A key-worker is responsible for making sure the plan is co-ordinated between different agencies.
Shadow children minister Tim Loughton said: "These figures demonstrate that the Government's system focuses on bureaucratic box-ticking rather than proper child protection."
More than 34,000 children in England were placed on protection plans in the past year. A report from the Department for Children, Schools and Families claimed the Government was making "strong progress" on its targets.
One target was cutting the proportion of child protection plans lasting more than two years, from eight per cent in 2003 to five per cent this year.
Children's Secretary Ed Balls stressed that councils must not take children off protection schemes just to meet targets. A children's department spokesman said: "We are crystal clear children should only be taken off child protection registers when those concerned are sure it is safe to do so."
Baby P died in Haringey last year, despite being seen more than 60 times by police and health and social workers. He had suffered months of abuse at the hands of his mother, her boyfriend and their lodger.
A Haringey council spokesman said: "Decisions on whether a child is subject to a protection plan are made on a case-by-case basis. Such decisions, including whether a child is put back on the register, are made by all the agencies involved in child protection. Many factors are taken into consideration, including changes to family and the child's circumstances and the child's health."
the workers who work directly with families(the hard job)are under paid, not the pen pushers.
Not poorly paid any more.. The new Head of social Services in heringay will earn 200K sterling per year..The pension scheme is superb and many see it as a good job, where you are not answerable to anyone..
i read the article this morning and it made me sad,... how the poor kid died is just horrible...
You have to wonder that with ANYONE who gets into Social Services and Foster Care in ANY country. Lord knows we heard about enough cases of abuse by foster parents in Canada.
Also, in the UK at least, employment in council children's homes has been poorly paid, and so you have to wonder at the motives behind someone wanting to work close to young, vulnerable children who have had a history of abuse.
I think the issue is this "benefit of the doubt" and not hiring people because they are too "emotional" about the subjects.
I've seen cases of children (especially toddlers) being taken from parents for bumps and bruises, only to discover the child was a bit accident prone and it really wasn't the fault of the parents. That's a hellish ordeal for good parents to go through.
I've also seen social workers take saving a child as their personal mission and end up taking the child from a good parent, who was perhaps too young or just needed some help.
Really in a lot of cases it's a case of damned if you do or damned if you don't.
Flayed is such a gulf-times word, and they didn't even bother to put the right source on the story: it's from the Evening Standard.
Councils have a pretty poor record of raising children, which is why even the worst parents are given the benefit of the doubt.
In my home state in the US there have been child welfare workers killed in the line of duty. It can be extremely dangerous to walk into a violent situation in a rural area. I salute these brave workers who make very little money (less than teachers) here. But my heart breaks for the poor children with these insane and evil parents.
Mandi
So Sad.............................
I think in the old days Social services had a lot more clout and a lot less red tape , like the bobby on the beat of times gone by, we were all scared of him just cos he was a bobby and a figure of authority, and would give any young miscreant a clip on the ear without a bye nor leave or fear of being prosecuted by parents cos if anybody were stupid enough to tell their parents they would get an even wors "Whats for " , from their dad.
"A man may fight for many things.His country,his friends,his principles,the glistening tear on the cheek of a golden child.
But personally,I'd mud wrestle my own mother for a ton of cash, an amusing clock and a sackful of porn."
Blackadder.
One problem to me is that in the old days, Social Service jobs were regarded as a vocation. People entered this profession, because they wanted to do good and help people.
Nowdays, most ar in it for the index linked pension and the cushy number.
and assylum seekers, than to give a shite about the people who really matter.....
"A man may fight for many things.His country,his friends,his principles,the glistening tear on the cheek of a golden child.
But personally,I'd mud wrestle my own mother for a ton of cash, an amusing clock and a sackful of porn."
Blackadder.
men... that must have been really frustrating gypsy.,
_________________
veni, vidi, vici.
Disgusting Brit, but I've heard that story so many times it doesn't surprise me. My family was "fired" from foster care because we opposed one of our fosters kids going back to his mother. We told him of our concerns that she would abuse him again (after we'd watched her behaviour with him during her supervised visits) but they said that we were "too emotionally involved" to pass judgement and that because of this we were no longer fit to be a foster family. The boy ended up back in care 4 months later, after he'd been hospitalized for shaken baby syndrome and it was discovered that he was raped by his mothers' boyfriend. (He was 2).
the head was asked to "leave" her position., that's just what shes gonna get apart from the 200k? how about a luxurious car? a retirement house?
negligence? liability? poooff .....
_________________
veni, vidi, vici.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2008/nov/11/baby-p-death
Sorry, but this case really had me fuming and I wrote many a letter to people concerned.
IMHO..
In any case such as this, the first person to resign should be the Minister in charge, because the buck stops with him / her.
the sad thing is that politicians, government workers are no longer willing to be held accountable or do the honorable thing..
"A man may fight for many things.His country,his friends,his principles,the glistening tear on the cheek of a golden child.
But personally,I'd mud wrestle my own mother for a ton of cash, an amusing clock and a sackful of porn."
Blackadder.
She should be held legally responsible for these deaths, as should the social workers responsible for the cases. If a bar can be charged with negligance when they let someone who was drinking their get behind the wheel of the car, then these people should be responsible too.
well thats just so dandy brit, the worker is rewared for contributing to the death of an innocent child..
The Head of Child Services has been asked to "leave" her post.. It is rumoured that she may get up to a 200K payoff..
In the old days, people resigned voluntarily...Not so now..
is it even worthy, in this case,? (the govt being spared from large financial payouts)
_________________
veni, vidi, vici.
The government needs to get it's priorities straight.
they should be fired and held accountable for this, the signs were obvious, theres no excuse...that poor baby, some people dont deserve kids....
The government is "afraid" to fire them because of legal actions they may take and receive large finacial payouts..
Its all totally screwy..
Sometimes, Im ashamed to be English....
"A man may fight for many things.His country,his friends,his principles,the glistening tear on the cheek of a golden child.
But personally,I'd mud wrestle my own mother for a ton of cash, an amusing clock and a sackful of porn."
Blackadder.
I think there needs to be a severe overhaul of the British social welfare system. And the people who miss this stuff should be fired immediately.
In the case of Baby P .. social workers and a doctor "missed" the poor tot having cut forehead, bruising and even a broken back..
The sad thing is that these idiots are still in their jobs .. Apart from the Doctor who had the good sense to "resign' or moral grounds.
I know in Canada the major issues were a stupid belief in the rights of the mother, over and above whats best for the child. However, we didn't have so many cases of children dying!
Shoot! Social workers neglecting warnings?? Its unbelievable! It is indeed sad. Shame on them..
cheers
paul
Because many of them think of themselves as demi-gods and aren't willing to share / exchange information or take steps which may harm their positions.
The case of Baby P has infuriated the public and hopefully lessons will be learnt.
I find this just attrocious! I know Child services are busy, understaffed and underpaid, but how are they missing such obvious cases?
couldnt even manage to finish the last paragraph.
_________________
veni, vidi, vici.
There is a serious "communication / accountability" issue with teh child services, Police and Social welfare.
These need to be resolved and social workers held accountable for their inactions.
Sad...in so many ways :((
smile lots laugh more