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Islington Tribune - by ROISIN GADELRAB
Published:5 December 2008

Baby P lessons ‘may apply to us’

SOCIAL services chiefs in Islington will face a grilling in a bid to tighten up child protection measures in the wake of the Baby P tragedy.
The Town Hall’s health and wellbeing review committee wants to determine if a list of recommendations issued to Haringey Council on Monday also applies to Islington.
The borough’s director of social services, Paul Curran, and Lib Dem executive member for children’s services Councillor Ursula Woolley will be called to a special meeting of the committee on December 15 to account for Islington’s child protection services.
Labour committee chairman Councillor Paul Convery said: “We’re going to pin down the director of social services and executive member for children’s services and go through line by line the mandatory directives issued to Haringey Council. There’s a risk that these recommendations might apply to Islington.”
He pointed out that an inspection had given Haringey the same rating as Islington.
Cllr Convery added: “Sometimes the professionals can’t see the wood for the trees.
“They are so busy putting the details into the computer system that no one can see the bigger picture.
“This applies to pretty much every local authority.
“I hope we have people in charge, from the director downwards, who are just probably better than there were in Haringey and that there are enough intelligent pairs of eyes making sure we’re safe but we’ve got to be sure. If any recommendations apply to Islington we want action.”
Cllr Woolley welcomed the committee’s “contribution to our efforts to keep children safe”.
She added: “ Islington children’s board and our safeguarding board will also be looking to see if there are lessons from Haringey we need to apply in Islington.”

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