Those most at risk are best dealt with by specialists

Those most at risk are best dealt with by specialists

THE tortured life of Baby P, and his hideous death at the hands of his mother and two men, convicted on November 11th, have provoked a national bout of soul-searching and recrimination. The toddler was killed despite being under close scrutiny by child-protection services in Haringey, the north London borough where he lived. That has led to questions about how children are protected from harm, both in Haringey and elsewhere.

An independent review of children’s services in Haringey is now under way. If its conclusions, expected by December 1st, are damning, senior staff are likely to be sacked and replaced by a government-run hit squad. Some egregious failings have already come to light, notably failures by social workers and doctors to spot serious injuries. But many of the problems that bedevil Haringey are replicated nationally.