Lynne Featherstone

Haringey’s Lib Dem Opposition has revealed that the Social Services Inspectorate warned Haringey Council as long ago as 1988 about the risks associated with senior social workers having no supervision or monitoring. The same problems have come back to haunt the council during the Climbie case.

The Minutes of a Special Meeting of Haringey’s Social Services Committee dated 26 July 1988, attended by Cllr (Now Lord) Toby Harris indicate that the Social Services Inspectorate slammed Haringey for the lack of supervision of social workers and team leaders.

“There is a commitment to provide staff with supervision … but due to the staffing vacancies … this has not been carried out effectively and consistently.”

Regarding supervision of Team Leaders: “supervision is not taking place on a regular basis”.

The Committee agreed to set up a ‘working party’.

Lib Dem Social Services Spokesperson Ron Aitken comments:”Haringey has simply failed to act over a period of 15 years. It is simply not enough to blame junior members of social services for this – the political leaders of the time should be called to give evidence to the inquiry too.”