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WTF is going on at Haringey Council? Why has it ALWAYS had this appalling record in its children dept?

19 replies

BasilBabyEater · 08/04/2013 08:54

There's a really disturbing report here in the Telegraph this morning about a couple who were basically punished by social workers for not being humble enough when someone made a malicious allegation against them. The SW's escalated the inquiry against all their own rules and procedures seemingly just because they didn't like the uppity tone the parents took - IE the parents pointed out that they'd broken the rules at the initial stage of the investigation and were knowledgeable enough about the CP system to be able to point it out. Bad move.

Is it just my impression, or is Haringey particularly shit at child protection? There seems to be a litany of malpractice from this council going back about 30 years, what's wrong with the place?

OP posts:
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edam · 10/04/2013 22:02

Heaven only knows but one of the many worrying aspects of the story is this: 'Ms Chew left Haringey before the judgment and is now head of safeguarding for Kingston Borough Council.' A woman who knowingly, deliberately flouted the law, who used the full powers of social services to intimidate a family who dared to complain, is now head of safeguarding at another council? I'm bloody glad I don't live in Kingston.

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CaptChaos · 13/04/2013 16:42

Kingston doesn't exactly excel when it comes to child protection itself anyway. I'm sure Sylvia Chew will fit in with the existing ethos with ease.

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Fargo86 · 13/04/2013 20:04

The same people get shuffled from job to job. Nobody is every sacked. Lessons are never learned.

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edam · 13/04/2013 20:11

Oh, sometimes the really junior people are sacked, while the bosses prosper. Especially in local authorities and the NHS.

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MothershipG · 13/04/2013 20:17

Haringey does have a poor rep, if you were a social worker would you want to work there? So they struggle to recruit high quality staff.

Apparently moral is really low and they know the media is just waiting for them to fail.

And this is borough with some severe levels of depravation.

So all in all a bit of a vicious circle.

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TheCrackFox · 13/04/2013 20:18

Private Eye have reported Haringey's appalling record regarding children's services since at least 1990 - seems like nothing has changed.

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Fargo86 · 13/04/2013 20:19

Who is in charge of Haringey council? Are they being paid 6 figures? Is it Tory or Labour?

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edam · 13/04/2013 20:54

Labour council, I'm sure the chief exec does earn well over £100k. But to be fair there are Tory councils with shit social services as well - bet Kingston is an example if that's where the vindictive, law breaking Ms Chew is now.

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Solopower1 · 14/04/2013 10:32

Oooh this sent a chill down my spine. I think the family were very brave to go public with this. Thank goodness they did.

But - another thing I find worrying is this: 'The nightmare for the family is over, but AB and CD ... are scathing about social work?s brave new world. ?Social work offices are like call centres now, with staff just updating intrusive databases,? says CD. ?We?ve abandoned helping people. We now just have the world of surveillance and policing.?

Also, from the point of view of social workers everywhere, not just in Haringey (where there is no doubt that they were incompetent and acting illegally), it must be terrifically difficult to assess some child abuse cases, especially with the media breathing down your neck. It's a bit like the situation with the teachers, imo. Everyone is always so quick to jump on the ones who are incompetent or who make mistakes that it is no wonder people are more concerned with covering their backs than helping families in crisis.

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Mrsrobertduvall · 15/04/2013 15:30

Guess what Edam? Kingston council had a shocking ofsted and have been stripped of child protection responsibility...Richmond council are doing it.

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edam · 15/04/2013 23:15

Who'd have thunk...

Solo, I've seen a stat quoted in several places that SWs have to spend something like 80% of their time filling in databases instead of actually sorting out stuff for the clients - and this has been going on for some years now.

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Tortington · 15/04/2013 23:31

crikey, how utterly brave. I could only wish for a molecule of their bravery in that situation

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AuntieStella · 15/04/2013 23:37

Haringey is Labour, has been for decades (not a single Tory councillor at present), Kingston is Lib Dem and has been for a while (Tories in second place).

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AuntieStella · 15/04/2013 23:40

Haringey Chief Exec (appointed 2012) is paid £189k.

Kingston don't publish current salary, but the scale is £156k - £178k.

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AuntieStella · 15/04/2013 23:43

Richmond is Tory (Lib Dem in second place) and Chief Exec is paid £176k.

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flaminghoopsaloohlah · 16/04/2013 10:32

It seems to me that a certain element of people who work in government agencies are not going to wind their own necks in because there seems to be no discipline what-so-ever for not doing their job as it should be done. This kind of thing is going to keep on happening within these agencies until someone stops with all the passing the buck tactics and forces people to be actually responsible for the responsibility their job requires.

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flaminghoopsaloohlah · 16/04/2013 10:38

This comment from below the article by Voltaire, I feel, says it all:

It may serve the public to know that most social workers advise their own families to never contact Children's Services for help, never to allow a social worker entry to their home, never to talk to a social worker without a solicitor present and if possible record the conversation.

I was reported to the social services once for wanting to find a better Drs surgery for my DC - fortunately, the SW I got had some common sense. I dread to think what may have happened should I have lived elsewhere.

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HumphreyCobbler · 16/04/2013 10:48

that article is chilling.

what happens to people without the knowledge and conviction of the couple in question? I find it terrifying.

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johnhemming · 21/04/2013 22:53

I am dealing with a number who have emigrated.

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