Sacked Baby P social workers to appeal
Three Haringey social workers who were fired following the death of Baby P are to appeal against their sackings, it emerged today.
Haringey council was heavily criticised in the wake of the abuse and death of the toddler, Peter, and several staff were sacked or resigned as a result of the scandal.
The council today confirmed that the former deputy director of children and families, Cecilia Hitchen, social worker Maria Ward and team manager Gillie Christou, who were dismissed last month, had launched appeals against their sackings.
A council spokesman said: “We can confirm that Cecilia Hitchen, Maria Ward and Gillie Christou have appealed against their dismissals.”
He said no date had yet been set for the appeals.
The three social workers will now face an internal appeal procedure. If the council upholds the dismissals the women could take their cases to an employment tribunal.
Ward and Christou are also under investigation by watchdog the General Social Care Council and are currently suspended.
Hitchen was sacked for “loss of trust and confidence” following a damning Ofsted report in December. Ward and Christou were sacked for “gross misconduct”.
The former head of safeguarding services, Clive Preece, who was also sacked last month, has not appealed against his dismissal at this stage.
Sharon Shoesmith, the former director of children’s services at the north London borough, initially refused to resign or sack any of her staff in the wake of Baby P’s death.
But an urgent review of Haringey’s child welfare provision ordered by the children’s secretary, Ed Balls, came to a different conclusion. On 1 December last year Ofsted inspectors issued a strongly-worded report that identified “serious concerns” and condemned the local authority’s child protection services as “inadequate”.
Haringey council’s leader, George Meehan, and cabinet member for children and young people, Liz Santry, resigned immediately.
Balls used his powers to remove Shoesmith from her post, although she remained suspended on full pay for a week until the council took the decision to sack her.
Baby P, a 17-month-old on the at-risk register in Haringey, had 60 visits from social workers, doctors and police over eight months. He was found dead in his cot in 2007, with a broken back and ribs. His mother, stepfather and a lodger were found guilty of causing or allowing his death. The child’s stepfather was found guilty of raping a two-year-old girl.
