The letter signed by 61 head teachers in Haringey in support of council staff under threat in the wake of the baby P death seems very ill thought out.
Social Services covers a wide area of council responsibilities, and whilst it may be the case that Haringey's services to schools is in line with what schools expect, it is clear that Haringey have made so horrible mistakes in this case, so head teachers letters of support seem hopelessly misplaced.
With further revelations that a whistleblower at Haringey was sacked twice (she was re-instated by tribunals) because she raised concerns about what was happening, and upon leaving the council was forced to sign a gagging order so as to "protect" the council, says it all about the dreadful way Haringey dealt with criticism and concerns.
Perhaps the head teachers in Haringey should stick to teaching and not start intervening in matters that in truth, they cannot really comprehend.
4 comments:
I smell politics at work, Nich.
It seems incredible that teachers of all people should step in to support an organisation that has allowed two children to be murdered in very similar circumstances.
It might be worth looking at the people behind this letter to find out what is going on.
Their is something wrong with those head teachers.
These head teachers work in Haringey and deal on a daily basis with children from backgrounds of great deprivation and multiple cultures. They and the teachers are in the frontline and are part of the group of people asked to help identify children at risk. It's is no longer just about teaching but the whole wlefare of the child. I would think that these people who live and work in Haringey and see the struggles/challenges of many of the deprived areas would have a better idea of the true environment.
I work in a school in one of the most deprived parts of Norwich and have dealings with social workers, but I could not write a letter of support in the head of Social Services based on my dealings with social workers on the frontline because I would lack sufficient knowledge of the whole picture.
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