Commentary: Lord Laming | Comment: Theodore Dalrymple | 17 months of cruelty | Video: another Haringey scandal

A nationwide review of child protection has been ordered after a mother duped social workers into believing that a series of brutal injuries that led to her son’s death were accidental.

The 17-month-old child, known as Baby P, died despite 60 visits by health professionals and social workers from Haringey Council. The same authority was criticised severely over the death of Victoria Climbié eight years ago.

Baby P was sullen and shaven-headed and covered in bruises and scabs when he died in the dirty, flea-ridden house in August last year. His fingernails and the tips of his fingers had been torn off and he had been hit so hard in the face that one of his teeth was found in his stomach.

He had been on the child protection register for nine months and had been seen twice a week on average by social workers or health visitors.

Ministers have asked Lord Laming, who chaired the inquiry into Victoria Climbié’s death, to investigate whether social workers across the country are carrying out his recommendations for protecting vulnerable children.

Lord Laming voiced alarm that many social workers were still too naive and optimistic that families were doing their best, even though a good legal framework was now in place.

“Professionals must be more streetwise,” he told The Times. “That is the nature of the business they are in.”

He said that families could be “very skilled” at covering up their activities, and that social workers had to be more sceptical.

Forty-nine children under 10 were killed last year — a sharp rise from 2006, when 38 were killed — raising concerns that the new system is not working effectively.

Social workers involved in the case of Baby P were persuaded repeatedly by his 27-year-old mother that his appalling injuries were the result of falls and other accidents.

Bruises, scabs and other infections were covered up with chocolate smears and nappy cream. The social workers were not aware that a violent boyfriend had moved into the house and believed that the baby was a victim of neglect, not abuse. Rather than take him into care, they assigned more support staff.

When the child died, two days after being seen by a paediatrician, he was found to have eight fractured ribs and a broken back.

The 32-year-old boyfriend and a lodger, Jason Owen, 36, were convicted at the Old Bailey yesterday of causing or allowing his death. The mother had admitted previously the same charge. The boyfriend was cleared by a jury of murder, a charge that was dropped against the other two defendants during the trial. The family cannot be named for legal reasons.

Beverley Hughes, the Children’s Minister, and Ed Balls, the Education Secretary, immediately gave Lord Laming the task of preparing a report on the implementation of child protection reforms across the country.

Ms Hughes said: “This is a very tragic case that makes all of us question how someone could do such a terrible thing to a child and set out to deceive the very people trying to help. Safeguarding children is the Government’s top priority and we expect it to be the top priority for local agencies, too.”

Mor Dioum, director of the Victoria Climbié Foundation, which campaigns to improve child protection, called for a public inquiry, saying: “This case is worse than Climbié. The signs were there and not followed.”

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