Advisers will guide Baby P council chiefs

THE council blamed for the Baby P tragedy has called in help from other councils to improve its service and reputation.

Haringey is struggling to recover from widespread criticism after the child's death, which led to the departure of the council's leader and the head of children's services.

Today chief executive Ita O'Donovan said that she had considered stepping down, but decided the council needed some stability in a difficult period.

Now the authority has set up an external Quality Outcomes Board consisting of senior figures from other boroughs. The advisers include Hackney Mayor Jules Pipe, Ealing chief executive Darra Singh and Anne Marie Carrie, the director for families and children at Kensington & Chelsea.

The board is part of plans to improve services by new leader Claire Kober. Other proposals include working more closely with social workers, police and health staff and strengthening the managerial supervision of social services.

Ms Kober said: "We accept things went badly wrong. We are committed to making things right."