THE social services chief in the Baby P tragedy has reportedly won a £600,000
payout — after judges agreed she was unfairly dismissed.
Sharon Shoesmith, now 60, learnt she was axed only when Education Secretary Ed
Balls told the media in 2008.
Shoesmith presided over Haringey Council’s children’s services at the time of
Baby Peter’s death.
The Court of Appeal ruled she was “unfairly scapegoated” and her sacking was
“unfair and unlawful”. Her payout — 4½ years of her £133,000 salary — will
be met by the council and the government.
Shoesmith first won an unfair dismissal ruling two years ago.
Peter Connelly was 17 months old when he died in 2007 with more than 50
injuries despite being on the at-risk register and receiving more than 60
visits from social workers.
His twisted mum Tracey Connelly and two men were jailed.
A Parole Board decided earlier this month that twisted Connelly should be
released from prison after she was ordered to serve a minimum of five years
in May 2009.
Today Mr Balls, who is now the shadow chancellor, said the payout “leaves a
bad taste in the mouth”.
He told the BBC: “An independent report said there were disastrous
failings in Haringey children’s services.
“They said the management was at fault. Sharon Shoesmith was the director of children’s
services and so of course it leaves a bad taste in the mouth that the person
who was leading that department and responsible ends up walking away with,
it seems, a large amount of money.”
Conservative MP Charlotte Leslie, a member of the Commons education select
committee, said Shoesmith should “demonstrate personal responsibility”.
She said: “A blame culture is not the same as a culture in which people take
responsibility and accountability.”
And her colleague, Tory former children’s minister Tim Loughton, slammed
Shoesmith for taking the money.
He said: “We published the full serious case review – both of them – into this
whole case so we could get some transparency into all of this, so we can put
things out into the open.
“And yet, several years on from this tragic death in 2007, we are effectively
rewarding failure.
“When you are appointed a director of children’s services – this is the whole
point of the reforms after Victoria Climbie, which again happened in
Haringey – is that the buck has to stop somewhere and someone has to take
responsibility.
“You don’t expect that person accepting responsibility, reluctantly in this
case, to get a very large cheque on the back of it as well.”
Haringey confirmed it had reached a confidential settlement and refused to
comment further.
Current Education Secretary Michael Gove is said to be “furious” a
secrecy clause was included in the deal.