Liberal Democrats in Haringey have warned that Haringey Council and the Labour Government must not forget the lessons learned from the tragic death of Victoria Climbie. Six months after the publication of Lord Laming’s report in which senior managers and politicians were severely criticised, the Lib Dems say there are worrying signs that the much hailed ‘sea-change’ in child protection may not happen.

Liberal Democrat Social Services Spokesperson Cllr Ron Aitken is highlighting many concerns over delayed action. These include the delay, until the autumn, of the Government’s long promised Green Paper on child protection.

Furthermore, Haringey Council, heavily criticised not only over their handling of Victoria’s case, but also for withholding documents from the enquiry, has still not implemented the Council’s internal Plank Report which criticised councillors and senior officers.

Labour councillor Gina Adamou, whose role as Social Services Lead member was criticised by Lord Laming, has been appointed to the Children’s Services Advisory Committee charged with implementing the recommendations of Lord Laming’s Report together with Cllr Takki Sulaiman.

Councillor Aitken has also demanded an explanation as to why a key presentation by the Carezone Trust on 3 July about measures to empower children in care was cancelled.

The Council has also lobbied the Government’s Social Services Inspectorate to delay until September publication of the results of an inspection of child protection carried out in March. The SSI had promised publication in June.

For the 7th month in a row a key child protection indicator has fallen – the figure for six-weekly visits to children on the at-risk register.

The Lib Dems also say that a £4m overspend in Haringey’s Social Services budget may threaten resources and that councillors Sulaiman and Adamou lack the clout to ensure that these resources remain with Social Services. At a recent Council Executive £240,000 was paid back to reserves from the Child Protection Budget.

Lib Dem spokesman Ron Aitken comments:

“An all-too familiar pattern is emerging. After the headlines and media spotlight have moved away from Victoria’s tragic case, Labour councillors and ministers back away from the hard measures needed to prevent another such tragedy. We must not allow a scenario where it is ‘business as usual’ after the fuss has diminished.”