Shoesmith: my suicidal thoughts over Baby P

Haringey children's services chief sacked over abuse case begins appeal

(GETTY IMAGES)

The children's services chief sacked over the Baby P tragedy was the victim of a "flagrant breach of the rules of natural justice" that left her shocked, wrecked her career and led her to thoughts of suicide, the High Court was told yesterday.

Sharon Shoesmith, 56, suffers post-traumatic stress, faces financial ruin and will never work again, it was alleged. She was dismissed without compensation by Haringey Council in north London following a damning report into her department's failings in the abuse case.

Yesterday, Ms Shoesmith launched judicial review proceedings against the council, the Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) and the Children's Secretary Ed Balls.

James Maurici, for Ms Shoesmith, said she was still recovering from post-traumatic shock, and told Mr Justice Foskett: "As matters stand, the simple fact is the claimant will never work again. She has been financially ruined and her health has been very seriously affected."

He accused Mr Balls of "convicting the claimant with no opportunity whatever to be heard". The minister removed Ms Shoesmith from her post on 1 December before the council formally dismissed her a week later, She tried to overturn the decision but a panel of councillors rejected her appeal. At an employment tribunal In March, she lodged a claim for unfair dismissal against the authority.

Mr Balls sent Ofsted inspectors into Haringey last November after the trial of those responsible for the death of Baby P, who was later identified as Peter Connelly.

The review team identified "serious concerns" about the authority's child protection services, which they condemned as "inadequate".

Peter, aged 17 months, died in August 2007 at the hands of his mother, Tracey Connelly, her lover, Steven Barker and their lodger, Jason Owen. He had received 50 injuries despite being visited by social workers, police and doctors 60 times in the final eight months of his life. A series of reviews identified missed opportunities when officials could have saved his life if they had acted properly on the warning signs in front of them.

Mr Maurici said the Ofsted report, the directions given by Mr Balls and council's decision to sack Ms Shoesmith were "in flagrant breach of the rules of natural justice" and the impact on her had been considerable.

The court heard that pressure from the Government on the council to dismiss Ms Shoesmith began in earnest more than two weeks before she was removed after a heated exchange during Prime Minister's Questions.

Within an hour, David Bell, the permenant secretary at the Department for Children, Schools and Families, and Beverley Hughes, the Children's Minister, both called senior figures at Haringey to "seek her dismissal", it was alleged.

Mr Balls had said in press conferences on several occasions that he judged Ms Shoesmith "not to be fit to hold office". It was "extraordinary" how the minister had convicted the claimant with no opportunity whatever to be heard, Mr Maurici added.

She was now recovering from post-traumatic shock and had experienced suicidal thoughts for the first time in her life, the court was told.

Her name had not been out of the media for more than two consecutive weeks for nine months, she could not find a job and faced financial ruin.

She was deeply saddened by Baby P's death but, as Mr Balls himself had said in a radio interview in November 2008, no sytem could be perfect when confronted with "a mother who lies, and evil and horrific treatment of a small boy", Mr Maurici said.

Ms Shoesmith's case is expected to last at least three days.