Sharon Shoesmith wins appeal against sacking.

[anotheoldgit]

http://tinyurl.com/3p5zjc4

Do you agree that she should never been sacked from her job in the first place?

Seems to me she is in line for enough compensation to retire on, although it appears that is for another court to decide.

But since it appears it was all Ed Balls fault, perhaps it is he who should be help to foot the bill, if any compensation is granted?

[bednobs]

i find it sad that the peo

[Gromit]

That is what happens when politicians follow agendas set by tabloid newspapers.

Just because the public wants it, or newspapers decide what the public wants, does not mean normal procedures for dismissing someone can be waived.

In his haste to limit the political damage that this case caused the Government, or the possibility that he was attempting to curry favour with voters by dismissing her so, he has landed the taxpayer with a huge compensation bill.

[anneasquith]

where did bed go ?

[radiogaga]

Sharon Shoesmith was sacked, as something had to be seen to be done.
Mr Ball's made a hash of the sacking, live on tv i believe. meaning no procedure was followed.
its an unfortunate truth in Britain children receive injuries and do die at the hands of their parents / carers.
Baby Peter's death made the news, thats the difference.

[ludwig]

// Do you agree that she should never been sacked from her job in the first place? //

No. Balls did the right thing. She presided over an appalling shambles of an organisation which has been widely criticised, and not just by tabloid journalists. There were systematic failures due to the structure and management style. If she as the boss can't be held responsible for that, then what can she be held responsible for?
Now, to add insult to injury she's taken a wad of cash off the taxpayer. Frankly I don't know how she sleeps at night.

[mrs_overall]

She is a hatchet faced, self-serving witch with no conscience, but it was a foregone conclusion she would win.

[chelle7272]

well said mrs o

[sandyRoe]

Social Services seem to be underfunded and their employees overworked. If the buck stopped anywhere it was with Ed Balls. Why didn't he resign?

[R1Geezer]

Surely you can't be criticising Noo Labour Gromit! well rub me down with the morning star!

[China Doll]

Unfortunately that borough is still an eternal thorn in my back-side. I deal with them a lot and I'm not convinced many lessons have been learnt.

[anotheoldgit]

Exactly ludwig she was the Haringey council children's boss, who were allegedly indirectly responsible for Baby P's death, and as head the 'buck' should have stopped with her.

[woofgang]

she hasn't appealed against what it is alleged that she did or did not do or what happened, The appeal that she has won is about the knee jerk reaction way in which she was dismissed. What this means is that if the counter appeal fails, she must now go through a proper disciplinary process....the outcome may still be the same.

[Aquagility]

Woofgand has the rights of it. If a ship goes on the rocks the skipper is held responsible and pays the price, but not until there has been a proper Court of Enquiry .

[starrs]

If she exerted as much effort in her job as she has in the last couple of years chasing compensation there would be fewer cases like Baby P.

[starone]

I couldn't believe it when I saw she had won. Her incompetence, because in the end she is responsible for what her staff does, led to the death of that poor little child. Words fail me.

[brionon]

Social services visited Baby P. 16 or 60 times, the BBC bloke didn't speak clearly. Surely they would have seen something. But no, knock on the door-''Is the baby OK ?'' Another job done, time for a coffee ?

[DEN53]

I'd like to wipe that smug look off her face !

[woofgang]

Again i say she hasn't won. I was the fact that she was dismissed without due process that has been upheld. if the idiot government hadn't knee jerked then proper process could have been followed and if she was proved culpable (not wanting to get the AB ed into trouble lol) then she would have been dismissed but properly.

[jno]

as woofgang keeps saying, this is a procedural matter: Ed Balls acted like a tabloid editor instead of a secretary of state, dismissing her without following the rules, so the court's overruled his sacking of her. She hasn't been found not guilty of anything.