Social workers face tribunal over Baby P failings

BABY P social workers sacked by Haringey Council for failing to protect him will face a tribunal next week. Team manager Gillie Christou and social worker Maria Ward were fired for gross misconduct in April 2009.

The General Social Care Council (GSCC) suspended their licence, which meant they were banned from working in the profession pending the tribunal’s decision.

Peter Connelly, who was 17-months-old at the time of his death in August 2007, had suffered more than 50 injuries — despite being on the council’s “at-risk” register.

The catalogue of abuse included a broken spine, eight fractured ribs, and was missing the tips of his fingers and toes.

Ms Christou is accused of failure to keep records of supervision meetings up to date, failure to document evidence for a risk management plan and failure to ensure a child protection plan was followed.

The younger social worked, who worked in Ms Christou’s team, is accused of failure to follow a child protection plan and keep records of visits up to date.

Ms Ward, was assigned to Peter’s case in February 2007, told the Old Bailey that the blonde toddler was a happy child, who appeared to have a good relationship with his mother Tracey Connelly, 28, later found guilty of allowing or causing his death.

She added that his mother showed “good insight” into her situation and was willing to work with social services in order to have her son’s name removed from the register.

The court also heard that four days before the baby’s death, Miss Ward visited the family home in Penshurst Avenue, Tottenham, to find Baby P in his buggy with his hands and face covered in chocolate and cream on his head.

Connelly claimed he had been eating a chocolate biscuit and the cream was treatment for a scalp infection, but other witnesses claimed it was done deliberately to disguise bruises.

Miss Ward told the court: “He appeared like he often appeared at visits. There was nothing unusual.

“He was a bit tired as it was the end of the day. I spoke to him and he smiled. I noticed that his scalp looked a bit better.

“I asked his mother if she was going to clean his face because they were going out and she said that she would.

“He was pushed in his buggy and put in the kitchen and he was still in there when I left the house. That was the last time I saw him.”

Miss Ward claimed to have no knowledge that Connelly’s boyfriend Stephen Barker, 33, and his brother Jason Owen, 38, were also living there.

The pair are both serving time for causing or allowing the baby’s death.

Two weeks ago, Sharon Shoesmith, the former director of Haringey’s children services, lost a High Court appeal against her dismissal.

An employment tribunal will take place later this year.