Title

The London borough rocked late last year by the Baby P scandal has called on local government's support to help it back on the road to rehabilitation. Haringey LBC this week announced it has asked Hackney mayor, Jules Pipe, and Ealing LBC chief executive, Darra Singh, to join a new external advisers' board to help improve performance in its troubled children's services. The rest of the seven-strong board also includes Anne Marie Carrie, director for families and children, Kensington & Chelsea RLBC. The others, yet to be named, will be a director of housing as well as representatives from the Department of Children, Schools and Families, the Government Office for London, and the IDeA. Haringey LBC leader Cllr Claire Kober (left) and chief executive Ita O'Donovan 'determined to drive through changes' (Pic: Mike King) A Hackney LBC spokesperson said this week: ‘Mayor Pipe was approached by Haringey council to sit on a board of critical friends aimed at assisting them with their improvement programme. The aim of the board is peer to peer support to drive improvement.' The creation of the new body, the quality outcomes board, was revealed in an exclusive interview this week with The MJ by Haringey chief executive, Ita O'Donovan, and new leader, Cllr Claire Kober, who took over last December and will chair the board. In the interview, her first with a national publication since the Baby P events last December, Cllr Kober said the council was turning to the ‘local government family' for external advice in the key areas of children's services, housing and partnerships. Cllr Kober, who took over after the resignation of her predecessor Cllr George Meehan over Baby P, said she was ‘determined to drive through changes.' She also stressed her commitment to Dr O'Donovan, who in turn admitted she had considered resignation last year, but said the council administration asked her to stay on to provide ‘stability.' The Baby P case led to a critical JAR rating for Haringey which, in the 2008 CPA, had been rated three stars and ‘improving well.' The Ofsted verdict means Haringey will now be rated one-star in the 2009 CPA results out next week. The council this week is also handing in its ‘action plan' response to the critical JAR to the DCSF. Cllr Lorna Reith, new cabinet member for children and young people, said: ‘There is a need for a fundamental change in the way we all work together. We are making major improvements. This will take time, but changes are already being made.' Click here to read the Haringey interview

Title

WHITEHALL

Haringey's chiefs call in the cavalry

SUBSCRIBE TO CONTINUE READING