Social services director sacked after toddler’s murder

The director of Salford children’s services department which admitted failings in the protection of a murdered toddler has been sacked for gross misconduct, it emerged today.

Jill Baker was in charge at the time two-year-old Demi Leigh Mahon was beaten to death by her babysitter in July 2008. An independent review found concerns raised about her welfare were not followed up properly by social workers.

Baker had been suspended since September when a critical Ofsted report was published. She refused a lump sum of £85,000 plus an annual pension of £27,000 and has been dismissed for gross misconduct following a four-day hearing.

The panel chair, Bill Hinds, said she had the right to appeal. “The panel was told there had been a loss of trust and confidence … in Mrs Baker’s ability to lead and manage the children’s services directorate. This meant she was unable to honour the terms of her contract, which is a fundamental breach of contract and therefore gross misconduct.”

Baker’s allegation of bullying was rejected unanimously by the panel as “unfounded”, Hinds added.

Demi Leigh died after being subjected to a sustained attack by babysitter Karl McCluney, then aged 15, in Eccles.

She had been left with McCluney, who was convicted of murder in July, by her mother Ann Marie McDonald when she went to cash her child benefit.

Although a serious case review found her death was “unavoidable”, it contained a number of criticisms of Salford children’s services. Social workers had been warned by police, neighbours and the child’s grandmother about Demi’s mother, who was on drugs and could not cope.The serious case review found social workers knew about the family but had failed to instigate a protection plan.