Camden News: Baby P | Witchhunt | Janet Grauberg | Harringey

Publications by New Journal Enterprises

Home

Archive

Competition

Camden News - by TOM FOOT
Published: 4 December 2008

Fears over the ‘hounding’ of Baby P social workers

THE council chief accountable for the welfare of children in Camden has spoken of her fears over the “hounding” of Haringey children’s department following the Baby P tragedy.
Councillor Janet Grauberg, lead member for children and young people in Camden Council, said the public witchhunt would scare away quality professionals from a career in child protection.
“I think people who work in social services have a very hard job – and society asks a lot of them,” she said. “It’s pretty clear from reports into the Baby P case that things have not been done properly. But what worries me is that such public criticism, that possibly amounts to hounding, will mean quality people will be less willing to work with families with children that are at risk.”
She added: “I am very, very conscious of the statutory responsibilities and need to protect children of this sort in Camden.”
Camden Unison chief David Egmore, who represents social workers, echoed Cllr Grauberg’s concerns over the treatment of social workers in the Baby P story. He said: “How much will they have to pay social workers in
Haringey now? I wouldn’t do it for any money.”
Dr Sebastian Kraemer, a child psychiatrist at the Whittington Hospital where Baby P was seen six times, said the rules barring social workers from discussing their cases with each other needed to be changed.
He said: “They should meet regularly for confidential discussion of each other’s day to day work.”

Comment on this article.
(You must supply your full name and email address for your comment to be published)

Name:

Email:

Comment: