Social worker ‘praised Baby P’s mother’

A senior social worker in north London described Baby P’s mother as “lovely” and assured her the toddler would not be taken away from her, an employment tribunal heard.

Sue Gilmore was “very favourably disposed” towards Tracey Connelly and reportedly expressed concern for her when she was arrested after her son Peter’s horrific death in August 2007, the hearing was told.

Ms Gilmore, a senior team manager in the social services department of Haringey Council, was also accused of failing to pass on evidence that the child’s mother had a new boyfriend.

Connelly, her lover Steven Barker, and his brother, Jason Owen, were jailed in May last year for causing or allowing Peter’s death. In March 2007 Ms Gilmore recorded a video interview with Connelly as part of a course she was doing in “brief solution therapy”.

This is a new social work method based on encouraging parents to “become aware of their limitations and to suggest goals and solutions themselves”, the tribunal heard.

Maria Ward, Peter’s nominated social worker at Haringey Council from February 2007 until his death, recalled Ms Gilmore said afterwards that Connelly was “clearly committed” to bringing up the toddler.

Ms Gilmore wrote a note on Peter’s case file, which read: “I gave her (Connelly) feedback, saying that she had been very open and honest about difficult things and said I was impressed that she had coped so well with so many difficulties.”

On a separate occasion Ms Gilmore publicly praised Peter’s mother, the tribunal in Watford, Hertfordshire, was told. Ms Ward said: “She said, ‘Maria has (ie, is working with) such lovely parents – don’t let her tell you she’s having trouble with them’.”

Ms Ward, 40, and her team manager, Gillie Christou, 52, claim they were unfairly sacked by Haringey Council in April last year following public outcry about the child’s death. Giving evidence to the tribunal on Friday, Mrs Christou claimed she and Ms Ward were fired by the local authority “to appease the tabloid press and politicians”.

In May a General Social Care Council (GSCC) disciplinary committee suspended Ms Ward for two months and Mrs Christou for four months – on top of their 16-month interim suspension ahead of the hearing – for their misconduct in the case. The pair admitted failing to ensure Peter was visited regularly enough, not keeping adequate records and even losing contact with him for a time.