A council in north London has appointed new leadership for its social care services after uncovering that over 1,000 emails had gone unread.

In October, Haringey Council received a safeguarding complaint from the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman. An investigation revealed that approximately 1,100 emails remained unopened in the social work email inbox between 2019 and 2023, which included 500 reports from the police.

Lucia Das Neves, the cabinet member responsible for health, social care, and wellbeing in the Labour-led council, noted that the recent changes have established “clearer lines of accountability.”

At a cabinet meeting held on November 11, Ms. Das Neves presented an action plan. She stated, “We now have an entirely new management team in position, and we have made significant enhancements to our operations. There are clearer lines of accountability, improved oversight, and our internal structures are more robust, especially concerning how we handle incoming inquiries and emails.”

The council aims to assess safeguarding referrals within 48 hours and has engaged an external reviewer to provide independent confirmation that the council is “acting effectively and appropriately.”

The council reported that senior management was informed about the email backlog in early 2024. Luke Cawley-Harrison, leader of the opposition from the Liberal Democrats, questioned why the backlog was not disclosed earlier, suggesting that it undermined the council’s transparency.

Ms. Das Neves acknowledged that the backlog was unacceptable but refuted the claim that the council had hidden it.

Sara Sutton, the corporate director overseeing adults, housing, and health, explained that police reports would be categorized as red, amber, or green based on their risk level. She also confirmed that there are currently no pending reports with the council.

Haringey Council faced serious criticism in 2007 following the tragic death of a child known as Baby P. An official inquiry released in 2010 stated that the case highlighted “the incompetence of nearly every staff member involved with him.”

Peter Connelly, who passed away at home in August 2007 after enduring months of abuse, had suffered over 50 injuries and was visited by authorities on 60 occasions within the eight months leading up to his death. His mother, her boyfriend, and a lodger were convicted for their roles in allowing Peter’s death to occur.