In 2003, the Government published a green paper called Every Child Matters. This was published alongside the formal response to the report into the death of Victoria Climbie, the young girl who was horrifically abused and tortured, and eventually killed by her great aunt and the man with whom they lived.  The inquiry into her death cost £3.8m, making it the most expensive child protection investigation in British history.

The green paper prompted an unprecedented debate about services for children, young people and families. There was a wide consultation with people working in children's services, and with parents, children and young people.

The whole process cost millions and has put into place a swathe of bureaucratic paperwork for schools, the police, health services and social services.  The CAF is a typical example.

The Laming enquiry found many deficiencies in Haringey Council's dealings with the Climbie and other child abuse cases.  The inquiry heard how Haringey council failed to assign social workers to 109 children in May 1999, a short period before they took on Victoria's case.  It also heard how Haringey Council diverted £18.7m  in the two years 1997/98 and 1998/99, from its social services department into services such as education, for the purpose of gaining votes; and underspent their budget for children's services causing a deteriorating of child protection services.

Haringey council wrote a letter to Laming claiming that social workers who gave evidence were being questioned more harshly than other witnesses. Laming condemned the letter, saying "I will not tolerate any covert attempt to influence the way in which the inquiry is conducted."

The government placed Haringey Social Services Separtment under special measures, requiring close supervision by the social services inspectorate. Allegations emerged that in 2004 and 2005, senior managers at Haringey council ignored child abuse cases and "became hostile" against a social worker who sought to expose the abuse.

So....... Why all that history?

A 17-month-old boy, who was seen by social services 60 times in eight months, died after repeatedly being used "as a punchbag" and having his back broken. 

The toddler - known as Baby P - suffered more than 50 injuries and was on the child protection register but was allowed to stay in the care of his mother, her boyfriend and their lodger.

The police described the boyfriend as "sadistic - fascinated with pain" (he had Nazi memorabilia in the house) and the mother as "a slob, completely divorced from reality. She was living in a dream world and put her lover before her child. She closed her eyes to what was going on". 

Last June police officers felt very strongly that the boy should not be returned to his mother.  A police inspector asked twice if the threshold had been reached to start care proceedings.  However, Gillie Christou, the idiot in charge of social workers looking after children on the register in the LA agreed to keep the baby with his mother.

In court today, his 32-year-old "step-father" and lodger Jason Owen, 36, were convicted of causing or allowing Baby P's death, a charge already admitted by the child's 27-year-old mother.

But here's the rub.  Guess which local authority's social services was in charge of the case?

Haringey Council.

Heartbreaking and makes me ashamed to be part of the human race.

That poor, poor child. O I do so hope that there is a heaven, because he's already experienced hell.

 I've known a number of biological mothers whose children should not have been allowed to remain with them, but this scandalous policy - whereby social services determine that a child is 'better off' with its mother, despite all the evidence to the contrary - continues.

nomad:

The police described the boyfriend as "sadistic - fascinated with pain"

I left Haringey this summer.  Fortunately I worked with few children with circumstances that meant that social services were involved but I was astonished with the actions of social workers when I did have to work with them.  I pray to God that this will be the last time a case like this happens, but I have little confidence in Haringey's ability to change.