Haringey Council reveals new child service management

Haringey Council has announced the management team that will
head up its new children service today, the fifth anniversary of
Victoria Climbie’s death, writes Amy
Taylor.

The service, which incorporates education and children’s
social services, will be led by new director Sharon Shoesmith, who
was the director of education at Haringey for the past two
years.

Anne Bristow, the director of social services at the council,
will continue to have the same title but will now be in charge of
adult social services and older people.

She will also lead the wider wellbeing agenda and formulate the
authority’s response to the public health white paper.

Cecilia Hitchen has been appointed deputy director for children
and families. She is currently assistant director of children and
families at Hounslow Council.

On the fifth anniversary of Victoria’s death, councillor
Kate Wynne, executive member for social services and health said:
“Victoria’s death has prompted widespread change to
national and local child protection procedures and it is only
fitting that in Haringey these changes have been implemented with
vigour and determination.”

Lord Laming, who led the inquiry into Victoria’s death,
said that since the tragedy policy and the law had changed and that
the government should be commended for accepting all of his 108
recommendations.

“Every Child Matters in my view represented a
fundamental change in the way in which we value every child and the
way all the services have a role to play in the development of that
child. It moves away from a narrow preoccupation with child
protection towards responding to the needs of children and
families”, he said.

The Children Act 2004 was a “major step forward” as
it ensured that all of the key services were responsible for
children’s wellbeing, he added.

Laming concluded the “main challenge” was the
implementation of all the policy and legislative changes on the
front line.