Haringey Council, A Shower of Labour Shit

Haringey Council's priorities are blindingly clear - keeping in power no matter what the cost. After all, they don't want to lose their place at the trough, and they obviously enjoy the trappings of and the exercise of power, as evidenced by the odious Shoesmith's vendetta against a faith school she thought was a bit too independent.

So I am not that surprised to learn that in the period that their Child Protection Services were failing to protect Baby Peter - and probably many more children supposedly in their care - they spent huge amounts on promoting themselves and letting everyone know what a wonderful job they were doing. £2.2 MILLION - not a paltry sum.

This is the council who also failed Victoria Climbie, and then proceeded to obstruct the enquiry into that atrocity to the extent that only one junior worker bee was sacked (to be re-instated later once the media spotlight had moved on to other matters, so that was OK ).

This is the council whose Leader took until 17th November to apologise for the Baby P tragedy.

This is the council who tried to smear and destroy whistle blower Nevres Kemal with entirely false allegations of child abuse - how disgustingly underhand is that?

This is the council whose Leader and chief executive had a meeting at the behest of local MP Lynne Featherstone to discuss the concerns raised by Nevres Kemal, and did NOTHING that might have save Peter or improved things for other abused children in Haringey.

This is the council where 19 doctors and health workers (supposedly professional people) saw Peter and still they failed to take him into care. Don't tell me they had inadequate evidence, or that there was not the power available to them to do something, as that is patently bollocks, all they lacked was the gumption. A failure of leadership.

This was the council where lead social worker Maria Ward had a case load that was 50% higher than the maximum permitted under its own guidelines, had 24% unfilled vacancies for social worker, but could spend £337,000 on a self promoting monthly magazine.

I could go on - and on, and on - but I think the point is made.

Unfit for purpose.

The Penguin