Gove praises Hackney's social work cuts

Taken from the Evening Standard, November 12 2013 http://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/michael-gove-praises-hackney-jobs-losses-and-pledges-to-shakeup-social-care-8934169.html

Michael Gove praised Hackney for cutting back a third of its social workers:

Hackney has bucked the trend, he said, with a model that “relied on holding social workers and managers to the highest professional standards: up to a third of staff have had to move on. “I am determined to spread this rigour throughout the children’s social care profession.” He added: “The London Borough of Hackney has every social – and economic – problem you could think of in modern Britain concentrated in its few square miles. “It also has some of the best - and most innovative social workers. “And they have developed an approach towards their practice which explicitly rejects the idea of their families as passive and powerless victims of circumstance or social workers as dispensers of other agencies’ services.”

Chemical spill blocks Downs and Cricketfield Roads

Fire crews rescuing someone trapped in a building on Downs Road (which turns into Cricketfield Road) were caught in some kind of chemical spill - possibly asbestos - which contaminated the area and some of the people involved.

There were a few people in alarming looking orange suits decontaminating or being decontaminated. A look at google maps didn't help identify which business or residence would need to store material that could contaminate in this way.

Diane on social services

Diane Abbott's piece in the Guardian on Haringey's former head of social services, Sharon Shoesmith, could prompt questions about Hackney's social services. The department has a good reputation but there are some unknowns.

One example was in a recently published book by a detective sergeant who worked for Hackney police's child protection unit up until 2006. He wondered how a child could have been beaten to death in Hackney in 2003 and no one went to jail.

Also, there doesn't seem to be any news on whether or Hackney's social services were aware of the mother charged with murdering her four-year-old daughter on the Chatsworth Estate?

Then there's the story recently reported in The Voice about a man only being saved from jail because he recorded his conversations with Hackney social services?

Tape conversations with Hackney council or go to jail

A man only escaped being jailed last month because he had recorded conversations with a Hackney council social worker who had accused him of assault, criminal damage and making threats to kill.

According to The Voice a judge threw out allegations made against Hackney resident Lovel Brian Dennis who had been trying to win custody of his brother Kenny.

The voice said: "Hackney Council reportedly offered Dennis an apology and a total of £1,600 compensation, but said in a statement: ‘The Council will be making no comment due to legal reasons."

Remember last year Hackney council attempted to prevent the Hackney Citizen from publishing a recording of a council employee who said there wasn't a Conservative Party mayoral candidate standing in Hackney.

Hackney GP: Social workers demonised by politicians

And Hackney GP complains about the low levels of respect for social workers:

"It seems likely that the main appeal for New Labour is that a social pedagogue is not a social worker, that most disparaged and discredited professional of the past 10 years. A combination of managerialism, marketisation and scapegoating by politicians and the media has produced widespread demoralisation among social workers. The social pedagogue - new, glossy, Scandinavian, spouting platitudes about providing a "holistic package of support" and "integrated care and education" - emerges as the solution to a problem largely created by New Labour."

Politicians: any role in Hackney social services' dark past?

The group manager of Hackney's children's services, Risthardh Hare, reviewed Precious for the Guardian last week. He said: "I've had three cases that have been similar to Precious's. It's not unheard of. It's not a made up story to pull the heart strings. It happens now."

On January 17, the Guardian printed another story, a book by a detective sergeant who worked for Hackney police's child protection unit up until 2006. This contained details of a case which led to a revamp of Hackney's social services - and the employment of social workers like Hare.

It was the death of a child in 2003: "he (Tyrell) had been taken off the child protection register six days before he was killed. Social services had seen Tyrell four times in the month before he died..."

The unnamed detective said: "After the Tyrell trial, Hackney council issued a statement: "The area child protection committee is concluding its investigation. Recommendations will be implemented by the respective agencies. Appropriate action will be taken as required if individual failings are identified." But the results of their investigation were never made public."


In 1999 Hackney Council had been ordered to improve its child care services by the government. Jules Pipe became Leader of Hackney Council in June 2001 and has been Mayor since October 2002. The Tyrell tragedy happened in 2003.

The unpublished report might show if the current administration had any role in this event. Whether child care had been turned around since 1999. Whether politicians helped or hindered social services up until Tyrell's death in 2003.

(This advertorial piece for Hackney's social services said Risthardh Hare was one of the first to take a post in an upgraded department. It said: "Hare’s new position pays over £5,000 a year more than the mainstream rate for someone of his experience. It also offers him more financial responsibility; he is permitted to authorise payments of up to £500 without consulting his line manager.")

Hackney child protection cop reveals all

The Guardian/Observer has published an extract from a book by a detective sergeant who worked in Hackney's child protection team until 2006. In the piece titled - How can a child be beaten to death and no one is jailed for murder - he describes the death of 19 month old Tyrell.

"he had been taken off the child protection register six days before he was killed. Social services had seen Tyrell four times in the month before he died..."

Hackney Council also gets unhappy mention for failing to be transparent about its social services:

"After the Tyrell trial, Hackney council issued a statement: "The area child protection committee is concluding its investigation. Recommendations will be implemented by the respective agencies. Appropriate action will be taken as required if individual failings are identified." But the results of their investigation were never made public.It is precisely this sort of reaction that increases the public's antagonism towards social workers."

However the piece is clear that these social workers often have their hands tied and are doing one of the toughest jobs with the least recognition.