Baby P: Sharon Shoesmith latest
Documents relating to the former Haringey director of children's services legal challenge to her dismissal have been released by a court today. Read our story:
Baby P report on Sharon Shoesmith 'was beefed up to remove her'. Look out for further updates at Society Guardian.co.uk.
Full background material on Baby P case here.
Today's Society Guardian news and comment
Parole chief: release more prisoners
Big society in, big state out, says Cameron
Recession causes surge in mental health problems
Julian Glover: a new civic culture, or fluffy Toryism
Datablog: latest child abuse and care statistics
All todays Society Guardian stories
Other news
• The biggest single supplier to the £12bn NHS IT programme is being fired from a key part of its contract after failing to meet a deadline to install systems into hospitals, reports the Financial Times.
• The Times reports on the latest Tax Payer's Alliance survey which shows that 31 council executives were paid more than the prime minister in 2008-09.
Easter break
Society daily is having an Easter break. The next edition will appear on Tuesday 6 April
Act responsibly
Should councils put their differences to one side when a child's welfare is at stake? The answer would appear obvious but an investigation by Scotland's Social Work Inspectorate has concluded that a dispute between Orkney Islands Council and Cambridgeshire County Council over who should provide services for a boy with special medical needs, known as Child "I," resulted in delays to important decisions which affected the boy and his carers.
Last year, a judge on the High Court Family Division said the carers of Child "I" could be forgiven for feeling as if they had been abandoned to care for a child "disowned by the state."
The boy had been born with a heart condition and his parents in the Orkney Isles were unable to care for him. His welfare became the responsibility of Orkney Islands Council. A couple from Cambridgeshire with a family connection to "I" offered to become his carers and the boy moved in with them in 2005. In 2009, Orkney Council said all responsibility had now passed to Cambridgeshire county council because the boy was resident in England. When the case reached the High Court Family Division last year, Mr Justice Hedley said the couple caring for the boy had the option of turning to the Cambridgeshire authority but the council had refused to become involved.
At the time, Hedley said the carers had been "stuck with the poison fruit of these two local authorities dispute." He was strongly critical of Orkney Islands Council's stance, saying it was a "huge triumph" for OIC's budget manager but a "complete catastrophe" for a foster parent.
Chief Inspector of Social Work, Alexis Jay said:
"While acknowledging the complexities of this case, this review has concluded that the dispute should never have got to the High Court and that events came to be dominated by legal process and interpretation, rather than the best interests of the child. Failure to agree about many aspects of the case has resulted in delays to some important decisions being made. This has directly impacted on the support to the child and his carers at various stages."
The report said the boy had complex care needs given the impact of a serious heart condition and his experiences in the early stages of his childhood. His needs were being met through his stable, secure placement with his carers.
Scotland's education secretary Michael Russell said aspects of the case were "clearly regrettable" and both councils should consider the report's conclusions carefully. "We cannot allow geographical barriers to stand in the way of ensuring the best possible care and support for children who need it".
Russell said he had written to the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families to see whether more comprehensive, reciprocal arrangements were needed across the UK in light of the investigation and its conclusions.
In a statement, Orkney Islands Council said the council's priority remained the best interests of Child "I" and they had agreed arrangements with Cambridgeshire to continue financially supporting the child and his carers, and promised to take appropriate action where needed.
Cambridgeshire County Council's executive director of children's services, Gordon Jeyes, said the council was pleased an agreement had been reached regarding funding for the child and his carers.
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We are starting to plan this year's Society Guardian Social Enterprise Summit. Last year's summit was a great success - you can read about it here. Once again we are looking to showcase inspiration, innovation and practical ideas on how social enterprises can deliver public services. Whether you are from the public sector or from a social business, we want you to tell us who you'd like to see and what you would like to see discusssed. Email to charmian.walker-smith@guardian.co.uk. You can Follow Guardian Social Enterprise on Twitter
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