Baby P: new details of failings published

The toddler died in 2007 due to the incompetence of “almost all the staff in every agency involved”, according to details from two serious case reviews published today. According to the serious case review, Baby P was failed by doctors, police and social workers.

The toddler’s GP failed to report suspicious bruises, police failed to fully investigate his injuries and a key meeting between lawyers and social workers to decide whether he should be put into care was delayed for seven weeks, according to the report.

The documents are being made public in full following pledges from Conservative and Liberal Democrat politicians. So far only summaries of the two “serious case reviews” carried out into the tragedy have been released.

Neglect
Baby P, now named as Peter Connelly, was just 17 months old when he died in Tottenham, north London, at the hands of his mother, Tracey Connelly, her boyfriend Steven Barker and his brother Jason Owen in August 2007.

He suffered more than 50 injuries despite receiving 60 visits from social workers, doctors and police over an eight-month period.

The report revealed that Baby P’s mother named her violent partner as her next of kin on an official form, but authorities still failed to realise he was living with her.

The toddler’s social worker was told Tracey Connelly had a boyfriend but did not ask who he was or request to meet him.

Downing Street today described the report as “shocking”.

The first serious case review, published in November 2008, was overseen by Sharon Shoesmith, who was later sacked as director of children’s services at Haringey Council over failings exposed by the toddler’s death.

It found “numerous examples of good practice” in the toddler’s care, although it also noted some weaknesses in information flow.

But Ofsted inspectors ruled that this report was inadequate and former children’s secretary Ed Balls commissioned a fresh investigation.

Review findings
The second serious case review was released in May last year to coincide with the sentencing of the trio responsible for Peter’s death.

It was far more critical, finding that the tragedy “could and should have been prevented”.

Social workers, doctors, lawyers and police should have been able to stop the situation “in its tracks” at the first serious incident but their practice was “completely inadequate”, it said.

The review concluded: “Peter deserved better from the services which were there to protect him, and they in turn deserved better than the ethos which influenced their work at the time.”

The second report highlighted child protection officials’ failure to establish Barker’s identity, interview him and carry out background checks on him.
Connelly told social workers he was only a friend and was not left alone with Peter.