Government alerted to concerns over Haringey Council 'six months before Baby P's death' » Local Government » 24dash.com

The Government was alerted to a claim that child protection procedures were not being followed by Haringey Council six months before the death of Baby P, it emerged today.

Officials responded that ministers were in no position to deal with the allegation, suggesting instead it should be referred to the social care inspectorate.

The revelation came after Haringey apologised yesterday for not doing more to protect 17-month-old Baby P. Social workers failed to raise the alarm despite 60 visits from the authorities during eight months in which he suffered more than 50 injuries.

Attention is likely to turn to the Government now after it was revealed the council's performance was flagged up by a whistleblower in February last year - six months before Baby P's death in August.

A spokeswoman for the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) said: "Our records show that we received a letter dated 16 February 2007, that was forwarded to us from the Department of Health, detailing an employment tribunal issue with Haringey Council, and containing an allegation that child protection procedures were not being followed in Haringey.

"Officials from this department replied on 21 March 2007.

"In that letter they made the point that ministers could not comment on the specific details of the employment tribunal case.

"Secondly, as is standard practice, they suggested that the individual should notify the relevant inspectorate, the Commission for Social Care Inspection, to take appropriate action and they provided the necessary contact details.

"The permanent secretary of the DCSF has looked at the reply and is confident that the proper procedures were followed."

The whistleblower was Haringey social worker Nevres Kemal.

She wrote to then Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt, but had subsequently received an injunction against speaking publicly about her claims.

The north London council said yesterday it was "truly sorry" about the fate of Baby P and welcomed a government-ordered inquiry into its child welfare services.

Local Liberal Democrat MP, Lynne Featherstone said Haringey's apology was "very late in coming" and demanded the resignation of the council's leader and lead councillor for children's services.

The authority was severely criticised after the murder of eight-year-old Victoria Climbie in 2000.

Fresh failings by Haringey social services were made public on Tuesday at the end of the Old Bailey trial of those responsible for Baby P's death.

The 32-year-old boyfriend of Baby P's mother and another man, Jason Owen, 36, were convicted at the Old Bailey on Tuesday of causing or allowing his death.

The child's 27-year-old mother had already pleaded guilty to the same charge, which carries a maximum 14-year jail term.

All three have been remanded in custody and will be sentenced on December 15.

Baby P's mother and her boyfriend cannot be identified for legal reasons, but they have been named on several internet sites.

Children's Secretary Ed Balls ordered an urgent inquiry into Haringey's child welfare services on Wednesday.

The investigation, which started yesterday and is due to make an initial report by December 1, is being carried out by Ofsted, the Commission for Healthcare Audit and Inspection and the Chief Inspector of Constabulary.

Asked whether today's disclosures should prompt a further inquiry, Employment Minister Tony McNulty told BBC Breakfast: "There's an immediate inquiry into what went on in this appalling case. I think if that needs to be broadened out to look in the wider context I'm sure it will be.

"What I think shouldn't happen is for people to look at this as they do other things with wonderful hindsight.

"The point made about the letter is one that I'm sure the Department of Health and the Department for Children, Schools and Families are looking at and reviewing as we speak."

Ms Kemal's lawyer Lawrence Davies told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that the letter was also sent to the inspectorate's chairman and chief executive on February 16.

The complaint "got pushed from pillar to post", he said, from one department to another before he was advised to tell the inspectorate.

"We just went full circle, really," he said - suggesting action by any of the alerted authorities could have helped avert the tragedy.

"By that time we had an injunction against us so we couldn't go back to the inspectorate. The inspectorate had been properly advised at the time and had done nothing."

He said: "If the social care inspectorate had acted on it or the ministers had acted on it, it seems hard to believe that the situation in which Baby P was seen 60 times in total... presumably several times after February, couldn't have been averted."

In the letter, his client "was saying that the procedures that should have been applied after the Laming Commission recommendations were implemented were not being applied and that was leaving children at risk in Haringey", he said.

"You would have assumed that the minister would have been apprised of it as we were calling for a public inquiry and effectively the inference was that children were being put at serious risk in Haringey and we stated that the situation seemed to be out of control."