`Baby P', a 17 month old boy, died in August 2007 from severe injuries inflicted whilst he was in the care of his mother, her `boyfriend' and a lodger in the household. In November 2008 two men were found guilty of causing or allowing the death of a child or vulnerable person. The mother had already pleaded guilty to the same charge. Importantly, for Children's Services, `Baby P' had been subject to a child protection plan following concerns that he had been abused and neglected. Following the convictions, the death of `Baby P', and the inadequate responses of child welfare professionals, began to dominate political and media discourses. This critical commentary initially focuses on media, particularly newspaper, reports on the case and identifies a number of key themes. It is then maintained, despite the largely pernicious newspaper accounts of the tragedy, there may now be room, following the publication of the joint area review (JAR) of Haringey Children's Services, to prompt more informed debates about `reform' within the sector.
Audit Commission (2008) `Every Child Matters - Are We There Yet?', Press Release, 29 October.
2.
Care Standards Tribunal (2008) LA v General Social Care Council. [http://www.carestandardstribunal.gov.uk/Judgments/j890/LA%20-%20(Decision)%20020608.doc]
3.
Department for Children, Schools and Families ( 2009) `Ed Balls and Alan Johnson Announce Members and Remit of Social Work Taskforce', Press Notice, 26 January. [ http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/pns/DisplayPN.cgi?pn_id=2009_0017]
4.
Department for Education and Skills (2006) Children's Workforce Strategy: Building a World-class Workforce for Children, Young People and Families. London: Stationery Office.
5.
Department for Work and Pensions (2008) No One Written Off: Reforming Welfare to Reward Responsibility. Norwich: TSO.
6.
Duncan Smith, I. (2008) `The Legacy of Broken Lives', The Guardian13 November: 32.
7.
Fraser, N. and Gordon, L. (1997) `A Genealogy of "Dependency": Tracing a Keyword in the U.S. Welfare State', pp. 121-51 in N. FraserJustice Interruptus: Critical Reflections on the Post-Socialist Condition . London: Routledge.
8.
Garrett, P.M. (2005) `Social Work's "Electronic Turn": Notes on the Deployment of Information and Communication Technologies in Social Work with Children and Families', Critical Social Policy25(4): 529-54.
9.
Garrett, P.M. (2006) `Protecting Children in a Globalised World: "Race" and Place in the Laming Report on the Death of Victoria Climbié', Journal of Social Work6(3): 315-36.
10.
Garrett, P.M. (2008) `Thinking with the Sardinian: Antonio Gramsci and Social Work', European Journal of Social Work11(3): 237-50.
11.
Garrett, P.M.(2009) `Marx and "Modernization": Reading Capital as Social Critique and Inspiration for Social Work Resistance to Neoliberalization', Journal of Social Work9(2): 199-221.
12.
Garrett, P.M. (forthcoming) `The "Whalebone" in the (Social Work) "Corset"? Notes on Antonio Gramsci and Social Work Educators', Social Work Education.
13.
Harvey, D. (2005) A Brief History of Neoliberalism. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
14.
Heawood, S. (2008) `The World around Baby P is Wrong, Why Are We Afraid to Say So', Independent on Sunday16 November: 42-3.
15.
Home Office (2007) `Innovative New Help to Tackle "Neighbours from Hell"', Press Release, 11 April. [http://www.respect.gov.uk/article.aspx?id=9072]
16.
Jenkins, S. (2008) `Officialdom Cannot Hammer Straight the Crooked Timber of Mankind', The Guardian 14 November: 37.
17.
Mooney, G. and Law, A. (eds) (2007) New Labour/Hard Labour: Restructuring and Resistance Inside of the Welfare Industry. Bristol : Policy Press.
18.
Munro, E. (2008) `Lessons Learnt, Boxes Ticked, Families Ignored' , Independent on Sunday 16 November: 45.
19.
Ofsted, Healthcare Commission, HM Inspectorate of Constabulary (2008) Joint Area Review: Haringey Children's Services Authority Area. [http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/oxcare_providers/la_download/(id)/4657/(as)/JAR/jar_2008_309_fr.pdf]
20.
Parton, N. (1985) The Politics of Child Abuse. London: Macmillan.
21.
Parton, N. (2004) `From Maria Colwell to Victoria Climbié: Reflections on Public Inquiries into Child Abuse a Generation Apart', Child Abuse Review13: 80-94.
22.
Russell, J. (2008) `We Must Dare to Rethink the Welfare that Benefits No One', The Guardian 21 November: 42.
23.
Secretary of State for Health and the Secretary of State for the Home Department (2003) The Victoria Climbié Inquiry: Report of an Inquiry by Lord Laming. Cm. 5730. London: HMSO.
24.
Toynbee, P. (2008) `This Frenzy of Hatred is a Disaster for Children at Risk', The Guardian 18 November: 35.
25.
Unison (2008a) `Progress Report on Safeguarding: UNISON Memorandum of Lord Laming'. London : UNISON. [http://www.unison.org.uk/acrobat/B4364a.pdf]
26.
Unison (2008b) `UNISON's 10-point Plan for Protecting Vulnerable Children'. [http://www.unison.org.uk/localgov/pages_view.asp?did=7962 ]
27.
Unison (2009) `Shocking Social Work Survey Shows Child Protection is "Ticking Time Bomb"', Press Release, 26 January. [http://www.unison.org.uk/asppresspack/pressrelease_view.asp?id=1328 ]
28.
White, S., Hall, C. and Peckover, S. (2008) `The Descriptive Tyranny of the Common Assessment Framework: Technologies of Categorization and Professional Practice in Child Welfare', British Journal of Social Work, advanced electronic access from 16 April. [http://bjsw.oxfordjournals.org/ ]
