Shoesmith agrees unfair dismissal sum

The head of children’s services at Haringey Council, who resigned in the wake of the Baby Peter scandal, has agreed a settlement for unfair dismissal.

Sharon Shoesmith, who had been children’s services director at the council at the time of the scandal in July 2007, has agreed a confidentiality clause with Haringey Council preventing disclosure of the amount to be paid out, though sources have said it could be as much as £600,000.

The payout comes a little over a year since the Court of Appeal ruled that Shoesmith had been “scapegoated” following the death of Peter Connelly. The 17-month old died after suffering months of abuse from his mother Tracey Connelly and her boyfriend Steven Barker. Barker’s brother was also convicted of causing or allowing his death.

Police officers and doctors from Great Ormond Street Hospital were shown to have made mistakes in the months before the baby’s death but the media spotlight concentrated on Haringey Council and social workers employed in the department run by Shoesmith. She was sacked five years ago but has been working since then to clear her name, suing the council for wrongful dismissal.

She also took Ed Balls and Ofsted to court after the then children’s secretary said she should be sacked without compensation, while the schools inspectorate produced a report which she claims was misleading and lacking in balance. Shoesmith lost the first round of her claim but the Court of Appeal ruled that she had been “unfairly scapegoated”, paving the way for the compensation which has now been agreed.

https://www.theguardian.com/global/2013/oct/29/sharon-shoesmith-agrees-unfair-dismissal