On top of the CRB checks, organisations need to ensure they have an effective, safe recruitment system in place. There needs to be a review of references to obtain all the facts about potential employees' past records, any possible issues and clarification of why they left, or are leaving, their last job.
It is vital that once jobs have been offered, settings provide training and personal development to spot gaps and inconsistencies that can be immediately addressed. Carers must then work in a culture where there is an established whistleblowing policy to support raising concerns and bringing them to the attention of management, or higher if necessary, where they can then be fully investigated.
The care and safety of children and young people is the number one priority and we should work together to ensure that is not overlooked and incidents of abuse decrease.
Calvin Hanks, quality director, CJ Group
Shoesmith story continues
The Shoesmith win does not "close a chapter", unfortunately. She was treated badly through the process, but she was not vindicated as the court did not comment on her performance while at Haringey.
Clearly, children's social care was not well run and wholesale changes made in Haringey following her departure seem to have led to improvement.
There is no definitive conclusion about the performance of agencies involved with Baby P because following the second report's completion, reports by or commissioned by Great Ormond Street and the police emerged that were not made available to the panel and omitted from the independent management reviews presented to the second serious case review panel.
And the Munro Review, while to be welcomed on the whole, is only an outline and depends on the government response, funding and implementation. There were also omissions in the report with no attention being paid to thresholds.
The recommended model for children's social care by Munro was the Hackney one, which reputedly has flaws in relation to children's safeguarding, supervision of social workers and funding.
The story continues and whether or not the chapter is closed, the book is still work in progress.
Martyn Reid, managing director, Riedling Consultancy
Email cypnow@haymarket.com or write to The editor, CYP Now, 174 Hammersmith Road, London W6 7JP.
