What happened at Haringey Council last night?

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As I wasn’t actually at the Haringey Full Council last night – watching via webcast instead – I asked Ed Butcher, one of the local Liberal Democrat councillors and my Head of Office, if he would write a guest blog to cover the meeting properly. Here it is:

Opposition means lots of things, but one thing I hadn’t fully appreciated until last night’s council meeting is the physicality of being in opposition. As Labour councillor after Labour councillor voted in hollow and weak voices to keep George Meehan and Liz Santry in post, not one of them was able to look us in the eye. Their sorrow and weariness was apparent, but they defiantly limped on.

At times like this you have to ask what you would have done differently. I simply do not accept Haringey Labour’s excuses. After over 40 years of running the borough, I don’t think they fully appreciate the culture of silence, stonewalling and secrecy that exists. This is what we would change. But, the real story is that I don’t think they really know what’s going on themselves.

Haringey Labour councillors have become so trusting and reliant on the advice of their officers that they have become incapable questioning it. With governance should come a healthy scepticism about what you’re being told. Having seen the Director of Children Service speak after the verdict, the public can make up their own mind as to the quality of that advice.

The culture of secrecy pervades the organisation. People who worked in Haringey child protection services have come forward with alarming stories claiming that they were told to shut up when they tried to raise concerns. This goes right to the top, where I know there have been attempts to bully and threaten my council colleagues into silence rather than welcome our independent scrutiny.

Even in last night’s meeting, probably the most public meeting our council has ever had, the Labour whip could not help themselves from shutting down the debate. We tabled two important motions. One was a vote in no confidence in the leader and the executive member for children’s services. The second was a motion to stop any compromise deals. Haringey has a dark history in paying off its staff to silence them – most notably a former Chief Executive whose departure cost £1m. The purpose of this motion was clear. There should only be two ways for any officer to leave following this. Either they resign of their own accord or they are sacked for gross incompetence. Not a penny of council tax money should be used to buy their silence. So with only 15 minutes of the council meeting left, the Labour whip accused us of talking for too long and decided it was far more important to move on to other business, such as appointment to outside bodies, rather than use the remaining time to discuss compromise deals. Plus ça change…

At the council meeting we were told that we could be reassured because of a litany of actions since the death of Baby P. There have been reviews, training, external checks, and now a further inspection. None of this has been open to scrutiny, none of them public. Not much of an assurance.

I asked Councillor Santry what she had done to review matters. She seemed to think an intermittent committee reviewing targets was enough. It says it all really.

I have little doubt there will be a blood letting and they will resign following the inspection report. But I wasn’t voting for change of face at the top, I was voting for a change of culture. I only hope the process the Government have imposed can deliver this. My fear is a stage managed departure will leave much unchanged and our at risk children at even greater risk.

Haringey Council debates Baby P's death

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Haringey Labour can no longer distinguish between right and wrong. I watched some of Haringey Full Council’s meeting last night on their webcast and spoke to one of the councillors afterwards.

The first thing I saw was them misleading the Council by suggesting that the Lib Dem Group couldn’t ask questions as their Leader Robert Gorrie and Gail Engert (Schools and Children’s spokesperson for the opposition) had had sight of the full serious case review. They hadn’t – and stood up to say so – correct the record. Then the Council said that the MP had been given a copy. No I haven’t. That I had seen it. No I hadn’t. And no – I wasn’t there but one of the councillors stood up to correct that record. The MP had not received a copy nor had she seen it. I will see it later today under Privy Council terms. That was before they even got started.

What was most clear that Haringey Labour are still in the business of self-preservation before anything else. The Lib Dem Group did a fantastic job of holding Haringey’s feet to the fire – but whilst Labour didn’t use the tricks I thought they would use to block debate and to get out of their culpability they used a different one to block the vote of no confidence. They wouldn’t allow the vote – and so when I hear on the news today that Labour leaders etc survived a vote of no confidence. No they didn’t – they didn’t allow it to the vote.

And the Christmas Card competition winner is…

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Lynne Featherstone with Louisa Owen at St Aidan's Pimrary SchoolNicest job of the year yesterday – going to the school to meet the winner of my Christmas Card competition. The theme was ‘I’m Dreaming of a Green Christmas’.

This year the winner is Louisa Owen (pictured) who is only 6 years old, and from St Aidan’s Primary School, Stroud Green.

Louisa’s design will be on the front of my Christmas Card and she received a certificate, some chocolates and book tokens.

The runners up will have their pictures on the back and they are: Raheam Watts, Nightingale Primary; Pasha Patel, Alexandra Primary; Regina Gul, Nightingale Primary; and Lila-Rose Marcuson, Highgate Primary.

Thank you to all the schools and all the children who took part.

Local MP marks Islam Awareness Week at Wightman Road Mosque

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In celebration of Islam Awareness Week, Lynne Featherstone MP on Thursday engaged in lively debates with local worshippers at Wightman Road Mosque in Harringay. The Hornsey and Wood Green MP was taking questions from locals at a very well attended Haringey Muslim Network and Safety Forum. The discussions touched on issues ranging from war in Iraq, to what can be done about the negative portrayal of Muslims in the media, to how to set up a political forum for young people. The local mosque has long been hailed as a ‘model mosque’ for its engagement with the local community through public forums, open days and celebrated youth work.

Lynne Featherstone MP commented:

“It’s great to be back at Wightman Road Mosque and especially to mark this year’s Islam Awareness Week. This year’s theme is ‘the Best of British’, and this mosque really epitomises that with its outstanding youth work and real effort to engage with the local community.

“This forum is a brilliant example of the work that takes place here. It’s clear that people feel comfortable raising issues close to their hearts. We had an excellent and lively debate tonight, and I certainly got plenty of food for thought.”

Why Polly Toynbee is wrong

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Tonight will see the Haringey Liberal Democrat Council Group’s motion of no confidence in Haringey’s political leadership debated – well that is if the Labour Members don’t talk it out by spending so long on other things it is not reached. That is their usual tactic in Haringey – although they should be utterly ashamed if they try that one. Their other tactic (and I remember only too well as Leader of the Opposition on Haringey for five years) was to put an amendment negating everything in the Lib Dem motion and saying how wonderful they are. They wouldn’t dare this time – I hope.

Leaving the politics aside for the moment, over the weekend it because clear that Ed Balls has decided to allow five MPs (including myself) to have sight of the Serious Case Review in full version. I have been calling for it to be published (redacted – i.e. with personal or sensitive information blocked out) and I think the Information Commissioner has said that is possible. But am not sure and will check. If I do see it it will be on Privy Council basis – i.e. that I can never reveal what it says – which may be difficult. It won’t be difficult if the urgent investigation has looked at it and investigated the key issues and Ed Balls takes swift and stringent action upon receiving it. Any less – and I will continue fighting at full blast.

I have had so many helpful contributions from those in the profession, people who have had personal experience of Haringey from the staff side. I hope the inspectors are going to talk to those who have recently left Haringey Social Services – as I am told that they often leave because of the way things are run.

I note the Polly Toynbee brigade’s feeble attempt to protect Labour Haringey by rattling sabres about not slagging them off otherwise social workers won’t come. But Polly – they won’t come because bad management has left them clearly vulnerable and children unsafe – not because that is now out in the wide world. What Haringey needs is a Social Services department that can start again – enabling social workers to do their very best – not just jump to fill in forms for fear.

For goodness sake – at one of my surgeries, staff were literally afraid to speak to me. I know staff have all been warned by email not to talk about Baby P – well that may be a very successful, information hiding corporate approach – but it hardly fills me with confidence about a change in culture and openness at Haringey. That’s what needs changing – and change won’t come from hiding away the problems.

Old Holborn's comment

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I note the comment to one of my posts from Old Holborn. It is very cryptic and if you follow the link he says that I am ‘nearly there’ and that there is an email that instructs the department to cut costs by not taking children into care’. Help me Old Holborn – if you know something that can further the investigation and where to look – don’t hold back!

This week's Ham & High column

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It’s now up on my website, and is about the issue of the moment – Baby P:

Our justice system has done its part with the prosecution of those responsible, but we also need to be sure that we learn what can be learnt. There is much we do not yet know – such as why there was a four month gap between the decision to have Baby P checked over by a paediatrician and the appointment actually taking place.

But we do know how Haringey Council has been responding to warnings about how it was looking after children. For all the good work done by many front line staff, at the most senior levels the reaction to concerns and warnings has been one of delays, hostility, failures to act and unwillingness to accept responsibility.

You can read the full article, which goes into detail about Haringey’s previous mistakes, over on my website.

Wightman Road Mosque

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Last night visited Wightman Road Mosque as part of Islam Awareness Week. Spoke to the Community Safety Forum set up so that we all in Haringey can work across our differences. There was a really large turnout and lots and lots of questions.

I want to pay tribute to Wightman Road Mosque and all who work there and in the Forum for the work they do in reaching out to the community, the integration work that goes on, the work with young Muslims and the genuine warmth that exists there.

I was particularly struck by the anger over the issue raised by a couple of people there about the language used by the media that still seeks so often to somehow link the word Muslim and terrorist – and I agree – that the media needs to understand what damage that does. Many terrorists are not Muslim. Many victims of terrorism are Muslim. But too often the media puts the two words together as if neither of these were the case.

I suggested that every time any one there sees such pejorative language they take it up directly with the media outlet. Recorded complaints are effective – as we saw the BBC over Ross/Brandt. But it should be public pressure, not legislation, that is used to tackle this issue.

It was a lively evening with lots of good questions on the Middle East, Iraq, free speech and much more. What was impressive as well was the desire to participate and someone else raised the issue of where can young people debate politics – without actually joining a political party. And I thought that was a very good question – as outside of the UK Youth Parliament, which is for younger people than this audience, there isn’t really a forum. So – I think we should look at how we might create one.

We need a fresh start in Haringey

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Ed Balls made a statement to the House of Commons on Thursday about the Baby P case and the actions he was taking. Mr Balls was able to say to most questions essentially – I will wait until I get the report from the urgent investigation I have commissioned and then I will decide and act.

Understandable – except none of us have had access to the Serious Case Review full document. In response to requests by myself, David Laws (Lib Dem spokesperson on Children and Schools) and Michael Gove (Conservative spokesperson) Ed Balls has said that the Information Commissioner has ruled that such a document cannot be published – though as Iain Dale reports, that doesn’t seem to be the full story.

My tack, when Madam Deputy Speaker called me to ask my question in response to Ed Balls statement, was to call for three things to happen so that Haringey can have a new, fresh start – which is what we desperately need.

Firstly that those accountable must go – and the Children’s Act 2004 names those key accountable posts. It came into being because of Victoria Climbie’s death and Lord Laming’s subsequent report – so we should make sure the lesson learnt then is followed now.

Secondly – that Haringey be put under special measures so that we can be held safe whilst things are being resolved.

And thirdly that there would still be a need for a public inquiry because the two week urgent investigation cannot possibly touch on the wider issues. I give you two examples. Firstly, budgetary pressures. It became clear from the figures about how many children were taken into care in Haringey before and after Baby P’s death that Haringey was reducing the numbers of children being taken into care whilst Baby P was being visited all those times. Directly after (and part of which could be a natural reaction) the figures shot up. Also John Hemming, a Lib Dem MP colleague who specialises in this area, had also found figures on reductions because of budgetary pressures. So Haringey’s decisions around budgets needs scrutiny for starters.

A second example of an area needing wider scrutiny – what part did the fragile state of the health team charged with looking after health needs of children at risk in Haringey play? After all, the paediatrician who failed to diagnose Baby P’s broken back was a locum in that very department. A post deleted, the key post of ‘named doctor’ who has particular responsibility in Child Protection cases. £400,000 of cuts required by the PCT (Primary Care Trust). Doctors leaving because of unhappiness with management. An unbelievably high level of sickness. A high level of bullying found by the last Health Care Commission inspection. All in all – a service that needs looking at. Hopefully some of this will be being pursued anyway by the urgent investigation team – but there are wider issues to go in to.

I did go personally to see the Chair of Haringey PCT with all these concerns. I was told – this is no longer the concern or business of the PCT. They had ‘outsourced’ their health team to Great Ormond Street Hospital. So – in my limited research as to why such an important local service would be outsourced – this is what I have been told thus far. Great Ormond Street want to become a Foundation Trust Hospital. In order to do so it has to demonstrate ‘community outreach’. Great Ormond Street had none and no experience in that area. Hence it negotiated with Haringey to take on that department. Well – if that’s all the case, is that what should have happened?

And as I said to Ed Balls – there is a wealth of information that people are contacting me about that needs to come to the inspection and that’s why we need a public inquiry. And we need a new start with new faces at the top – so that everyone involved in child protection in Haringey is imbued with the necessary zeal and support to make that fresh start and to make our vulnerable children as safe as they can be.

Wood Green children make Christmas extra special for Kenyan orphans

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Children at Nightingale Primary will make Christmas very special for orphans in Kenya, as the 24 boxes they have filled with presents go off to Africa this week. The Wood Green children, participating in the Schools for Africa programme sponsored by Lynne Featherstone MP, have spent the autumn learning about poverty in Africa and filling boxes with toys, books and toiletries. This week, DHL will send the 24 boxes to children’s homes for HIV/ AIDS orphans in the Kenyan capital Nairobi.

Lynne Featherstone, Liberal Democrat MP, comments:

“I’m so proud of Nightingale Primary. The kids have been so generous, and the 24 boxes they have sent off today will touch the lives of some of the world’s poorest and most deprived children.

“With 14 million HIV and AIDS orphans in the world – this is really one of the biggest humanitarian challenges of our time. That’s why it’s so fantastic that all the children at Nightingale Primary can say ‘I helped and I have made a difference’.”