Haringey Council: Statement on Quality Outcomes Board
Friday 27 February 2009
Haringey Council today announced new plans to improve services, with high-level support from London local government.
A new Quality Outcomes Board, with members including Hackney Mayor Jules Pipe, Ealing chief executive Darra Singh and Kensington and Chelsea director for families and children Anne Marie Carrie, will be working with new Haringey Leader Cllr Claire Kober over the coming 12 months.
Cllr Kober said:
"I am determined to drive through the changes needed, and this is a voluntary group of critical friends that will work as a sounding board for our progress.
"Opening ourselves up to external advice, support and challenge in this way can only strengthen our efforts and assist our improvement plans.
"We accept that things went badly wrong. We are committed to making things right. Changes are already being made, and the board will help us on our way."
The board was announced as the council and partner agencies submitted an action plan to Government, setting out changes to child protection arrangements following December's critical joint area review of children's' services.
The plan sets out a number of key changes:
- Closer working between social workers, police officers and health staff;
- Recruiting and developing top quality staff;
- Putting more resources into safeguarding;
- Improving systems and procedures;
- Strengthening the managerial and political supervision of the system, including setting up a Children's Trust; and
- a stronger, more robust Local Safeguarding Children Board with independent chairperson.
The Quality Outcomes Board, chaired by Cllr Kober, will begin work in March, and will also include experts in housing and representatives from the Local Government Improvement and Development Agency, DCSF and Government Office for London.
It is sponsored by Capital Ambition, the improvement and efficiency arm of London Councils, which works with authorities in the capital on service improvement.
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