More sackings over Baby P failings
Updated on 29 April 2009
Four more people have been sacked by Haringey Council over the appalling death of toddler Baby P.
The 17-month-old died in the north London borough at the hands of his mother, her boyfriend and their lodger in August 2007.
He had suffered more than 50 injuries despite receiving 60 visits from social workers, doctors and police over an eight-month period.
Last December, inspectors found a string of failures in Haringey's children's services and Sharon Shoesmith, who was head of children's services at Haringey council at the time of Baby P's death, was sacked.
The local authority then launched an investigation into four other members of staff - deputy director of children and families Cecilia Hitchen, social worker Maria Ward, team manager Gillie Christou and head of safeguarding services Clive Preece.
A Haringey spokesman said Ms Hitchen was sacked for "loss of trust and confidence" following last year's damning Ofsted report. The other employees were axed for gross misconduct.
The General Social Care Council also currently has interim suspension orders against Maria Ward and Gillie Christou. A fifth, social worker Sylvia Henry, had no action taken against her because there was no case to answer, the council found.
The report into Baby P's death was described by children's minister Ed Balls as "devastating", and council leader George Meehan and cabinet member for children and young people Liz Santry were prompted to resign.
As the investigations at Haringey continued, the Government asked Lord Laming to carry out an urgent nationwide review of child welfare services in England.
He lead the probe following the death of Victoria Climbie in the same borough, the eight-year-old who was tortured and killed by her great aunt Marie Therese Kouao and her boyfriend Carl Manning.
Lord Laming reported back on March 12, and attacked public bodies for failing to put recommendations made six years before into practice.
Two doctors who treated Baby P have also been suspended from practice by the General Medical Council, Family GP Dr Jerome Ikwueke and Dr Sabah Al-Zayyat.
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