The Haringey Liberal Democrat Councillor who last week revealed that Haringey Council in North London has employed 18 convicted criminals to work with children and vulnerable adults in the last three years has made public additional information indicating further inconsistencies in Haringey Council’s child protection policies.

Since September 2002 Cllr Ron Aitken, Lib Dem Social Services Spokesperson, has been questioning Haringey Council’s policy of allowing senior social services managers discretion to set aside the results of Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) checks for people working as social workers, care assistants and caretakers. Haringey Council refuses to say what constitutes a minor enough offence to be allowed to work with children.

Cllr Ron Aitken has also asked the Labour Lead member for Social Services how many employees of Haringey Council had been reported to the Department for Education for inclusion on the ‘POCA’ list. The list bars certain people from working with children and vulnerable adults in the last three years. He received an answer that the figure was two.

Furthermore Lisa Arthurworrey, the social worker who is the only Haringey figure to publicly admit her mistakes in the handling of Victoria Climbie’s case is to appeal against her inclusion on the POCA list. Cllr Aitken saysthis indicates more inconsistencies in the Council’s procedures.

“Haringey refuses to say what offences it sets aside for people to work with children,” says Cllr Aitken. “This is making a mockery of CRB checks and undermining confidence in its child protection procedures after the Victoria Climbie case. There is also an indication that it has used the POCA list to scapegoat a junior social worker who acknowledged her inexperience and lack of training in evidence to Lord Laming’s inquiry – the only Haringey employee to do so.”

Cllr Aitken has said he “deeply unhappy” at the inconsistencies and continuing failings in Haringey Council’s child protection procedures:

“The POCA list is for the Ian Huntleys of this world, not a junior social worker left to carry the can by incompetent managers and politicians.”