Leaked report shows Baby P failings

[John]

Leaked report shows Baby P failings

A damning leaked report into the death of Baby P was overseen by disgraced child services chief Sharon Shoesmith and branded "inadequate" by the Government, a local authority has said.

The confidential document, handed to the Mail on Sunday, described how officials missed and delayed meetings to discuss his welfare and failed to pass on vital information.

Haringey council said the report from November 2008 was overseen by Shoesmith and was rejected by the Government and Ofsted.

It revealed how officials finally decided the toddler should be removed from his home days before his death.

But this crucial meeting had been delayed by six weeks due to "workload pressures". Meanwhile, health, welfare and legal experts missed other meetings, the Mail on Sunday reported.

Instructions not to let the child return home until dogs had been removed from the house were ignored and social workers did not believe the mother had a live-in lover even after she told a parenting class she was pregnant, the Mail on Sunday said.

In addition, a paediatrician who apparently failed to spot Baby P had a broken back just two days before he died believed the boy was sent for treatment because of his "behaviour" rather than child abuse.

The 17-month-old died in August 2007 after suffering horrific injuries at the hands of his mother, her abusive boyfriend and their lodger while on the child protection register. He was seen by social workers, doctors and police on 60 occasions during an eight-month period.

A Haringey council spokesman said: "This leaked document is the November 2008 review that was judged inadequate by Ofsted and the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families in December, following an intensive inspection of child protection services in Haringey. The council and other agencies responsible for safeguarding children have accepted that finding and apologised for the failings in this case."

A spokesman for the Department for Children, Schools and Families said whoever had leaked the report was "irresponsible".

[DUKE NUKEM]

thanks for the post John