Haringey Labour has failed to deal with serious underperformance when dealing with complaints made under the Children’s Act, as they threaten to miss national targets for the third year in a row.

Haringey’s Liberal Democrat councillors are demanding that Labour take concerted action to improve performance in order to ensure the safety of the borough’s vulnerable children.

This year to date, just 68% of complaints made at the Stage 1 level have been dealt with within the national 14-day timescale – the Government’s target is 80%. Last year, Haringey Council dealt with 69% of complaints in this timescale, and in 2004/05 just 39% were completed on schedule.

The same is true for the more serious Stage 2 complaints. Just one complaint has been submitted to the Council this year – this was not completed within the required 28-day period. Last year just one of 12 such complaints (8%) was completed on time, and 2 of the outstanding complaints had not been dealt with after 90 days.

Labour’s lead member in charge of reporting on progress to the Council’s leadership admits his concerns. Councillor Dhiren Basu, Executive Member for Organisational Development and Performance, says in the latest report to the Executive, “My colleagues and I are still disappointed with performance as…processing children’s act complaints…Clearly work still needs to be done in these areas and I will be working alongside officers to make sure the necessary steps are taken.”

Liberal Democrat councillors have continually warned Labour that they must improve performance as a priority. Councillor Gail Engert, Lib Dem spokesperson for Children and Young People, comments:

“This is negligence, pure and simple. Labour absolutely must ensure that they are making improvements as a priority – our children deserve better than this. The Council Leader has claimed that we are sensationalising this issue, but the figures frankly speak for themselves.

“It is scandalous that the administration which failed to protect the desperately tragic death of Victoria Climbie can allow underperformance such as this to continue month after month, despite warnings from the Lib Dems, and then make light of their failures. The children of this borough deserve better, and we demand to see improvements in the very near future.”