Baby P witch hunt

The system exists to thwart the inadequacy or malevolence of individuals. We can’t do much about individuals, which is why systems have to work.

There will always be predators- but the met exists to thwart them not cover for them. That’s the issue when protecting the system becomes more important than protecting the public.

I don't think anybody is suggesting the people who harmed and killed Baby P weren't to blame. But there will always be people like that with children in their care and the role of social services is to identify which children are at risk and figure out whether they can remain with their parents with additional support in place or whether they need to be removed and put into care.

I don't agree with demonising individuals, but when something like this happens despite multiple interactions between the family and social services/the medical profession, the system has failed to do its job and it's important to try and figure out how and why it was allowed to happen.

OP I don't know if you've googled and read further.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/society/2008/dec/01/baby-p-ed-balls-statement

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Victoria_Climbi%C3%A9

A few interesting takes on it.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2011/may/27/sharon-shoesmith-baby-p
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2011/may/27/sharon-shoesmith-baby-p-case
https://lynnefeatherstone.org/2009/10/08/sharon-shoesmiths-day-in-court/

"I’m not a social worker and I don’t personally know any, but it seems like an almost impossible job to me."

It isn't an impossible job. You might not affect the outcome for the child, but if you've done your job to the best of your ability, then you use reflection and hopefully come to peace with that. If you look at a packed A&E department, it would look impossible for a doctor to get through the workload (especially on a 12/14 hour shift). But the doctor uses their training, the tools at their disposal, their colleagues etc. Are you making excuses over the death of Marina Young, or do you think that simple procedures should have been followed?

The case reviews will be available, for Baby P and Victoria Climbie. Baby P, should have been removed at weeks old when bruises were seen on his body. People didn't do their jobs. They didn't follow procedures. The SWs were more interested in having Connelly perform on camera for the department. CP had stopped being about the children. Baby P's siblings were also physically and verbally abused.
basw.co.uk/policy-and-practice/resources/serious-case-review-baby-peter

Do we consider the MET officers as being blamed for the failings of society and working under difficult circumstances? The Firebrigade? Or do we hold them responsible for not doing their jobs?
I'm from Liverpool, so regardless of the failings, I obviously think the Sun shouldn't have been allowed to do what it did. But in the majority of the deaths of babies I read about and the toddler who died of dehydration next to his father, the SWs didn't follow the CP/Court plan. I've experience the Police not following their CP/safeguarding procedures. Posters on here would be up in arms if their children's teachers did the same. Have you not read the threads from Mothers whose SW has got it so wrong, it's farcical?

Constance Marten's case shows exactly why child protection workers need to be 'heavy handed' sometimes.

The professionals definitely made mistakes. For facts read the Serious Case Review. All SCRs are in the public domain.

However it is right to question the witch hunt and to recognise how difficult cp work is in failing, underfunded systems.

For many years, I was a Local Authority child protection social worker in a very deprived area in South East England. I worked closely with the police, health care professionals and education providers. Some parents and families were able and willing to work with us, others not, due to their lack of trust in the system, learning disabilities and/or a belief that they could outwit "the system". I had family members try to kill me, frighten me off by setting vicious dogs on me, my car brakes tampered with, and making unsupported complaints about my behaviour towards them. I survived all this by being calm at all times, validating the family's feelings, having access to supportive colleagues and good clinical supervision. In cases where it was proven that families were unable to work together with professionals, the Family Courts made the final decisions about the welfare of the children and the timescale for the plans made for them which had been agreed.

Too easy to hunt and blame doctors, nurses or social workers instead of a run down and broken NHS and SS.
People should be ashamed.

Ed Balls who iwas Health Secretary at the time sacked the poor woman who was head of Social services and Education for ?Essex publicly in Parliament before she had even been informed -such a big brave man - as if she could have had that much input
She was suicidal.
Babies die 1 to two a week at the hands of carers and I have NEVER heard of a Head of SS being sacked for it.
Feeble government being manipulated by the press.
MPs doing whatever to save their own skins.

Just to add, the doctor was a scapegoat so Great Ormand Street wasn't put under scrutiny.

Baby P's dad took him and was arrested, contact stopped and was told that he would be charged with kidnapping/harrasment.

Star Hobson's family were told that they were over involved and homophobic.
Arthur Labinjo-Hughes grandparents had him removed from their care and called bitter and malicious.

Who else are you taking about? Parents can refuse to have any contact with any member of the family. One grandmother phoned the fire brigade saying she saw flames. Her granddaughter was hours away from death. She was still initially arrested because SS had helped the Mother get a restraining order.
I was doing my CP SW training when Baby P's findings were published. There were massive failings by all professionals and it was correct that they were publicly criticised.

Ed Balls effective sacked Sharon Shoesmith on TV.....Peter Connolly's death was at the hands of his supposed care givers. That poor child had a miserable existence and society will always struggle to comprehend that...

Perhaps services might have saved his life if certain things were done, perhaps not but the way the professionals were treated in this case was disgusting.

Social work and health services are in an even worse place now and we should be outraged by this, instead we all have a cry about any suggestion of progressive taxation and (especially on here) 'state interference'. Child protection is incredibly complex and nuanced, with it being very easy to throw that mud.

I thought the talk about the vulnerable teenager in the house wasn't about the mother, but an underage girlfriend of the brother in law?

They should have had the book thrown at them, for sure.

But I think it's appropriate to ask questions about a child protection "system" that actually isn't fit for purpose.

Why were no notes available at the clinic?
Why were various services incapable of communicating and sharing information?

What is the documentary? Can I watch it somewhere else? I don’t have TikTok

One thing that always angers me is when family
members are interviewed in the media condemning the authorities who allowed their GC, neice or nephew to be abused! Where were they? Why were they not looking out for the child’s welfare ? People are far too quick to blame social work, hv, gp etc!