Followers of this blog may remember earlier posts about the tragic case of Baby P, the Haringey toddler who was murdered despite the continuing involvement of Social Workers, Health Workers and Police.

Earlier posts are here, here and here.

As a social worker, I was concerned with the media feeding frenzy that surrounded this tragic case, and with the certainty that this would obscure the real issues.

Today, after what can only be described as a Witch Hunt against the leader of Children’s Services in Haringey, Sharon Shoesmith, the media gaze finally turned to the Police investigation.

Earlier, the police claimed to have warned social services of the danger, and said these were rejected by the social worker concerned. Story here.

Now a report lists systemic failure on the part of the Metropolitan Police in it’s investigation of the injuries sustained by Baby P 9 months prior to his eventual death. These failures are familiar to anyone working in complex organisations-

• Time ‘drift’ and deadlines being missed
• Staff moving on and not handing information over properly
• A failure to chase up requested medical reports (Presumably the focus will switch to Health now.)
• A specialist was appointed to review the evidence- but seemed to be forgotten about

Here’s the Guardian newspapers take on the story.

And from the BBC.

Perhaps the truth of the terrible loss of this child will start to emerge. Everyone failed.

Systems always will fail.