Commenting on the Ofsted inspection of progress made in the provision of safeguarding services in the London Borough of Haringey, Cllr Robert Gorrie, Opposition Liberal Democrat Leader on Haringey Council, says:

“Children and young people in Haringey are not yet consistently safeguarded and are still at risk due to shortcomings in the performance of Haringey Council and its partners.

“Haringey Council has made only limited progress in addressing the areas of weakness and worryingly the capacity to improve is reported as limited. This is an unacceptable situation.

“The inspection shows Haringey’s Children’s Services was in a significantly worse state at the beginning of this year than Haringey Council leaders previously understood or admitted.

“The most urgent question is when the public will have the confidence that children in Haringey are being safeguarded properly.

“Whilst the Ofsted report rightly recognises the efforts by staff to improve the safeguarding of children in Haringey, the central message of the report is much less reassuring.”

Lynne Featherstone MP adds:

“What is clear is that problems in child protection and safeguarding were much deeper than anyone thought – instead of being up to its waist, Haringey Council is clearly still struggling to keep its head above water.

“There are still serious concerns which cannot be starker than in the report’s statement that Haringey’s children are not yet consistently safeguarded.

“The report shows that Haringey Council is still failing to safeguard children and young people in Haringey.

“I want to know when children in Haringey are going to be safe.”