Salford DCS sacked after toddler death

Jill Baker was in charge of children's services in the area when two-year-old Demi Leigh Mahon, who was known to social services, was beaten to death by her 15-year-old babysitter last year.

A cross-party panel of councillors and the local authority's cabinet agreed unanimously that Baker should be dismissed.

Bill Hinds, chairman of the disciplinary panel, said: "The panel was told there had been a loss of trust and confidence by the chief executive Barbara Spicer, council leader councillor John Merry, and lead member councillor John Warmisham, in Mrs Baker's ability to lead and manage the Children's Services directorate. This meant she was unable to honour the terms of her contract, which is a fundamental breach of contract and therefore gross misconduct."

Baker claimed that she had been subjected to bullying in the workplace.

But Hinds said: "An allegation of bullying was rejected unanimously by the panel as unfounded. Some issues were partially upheld in relation to certain HR processes not adequately followed. The council has apologised to Mrs Baker for these failings. These findings had no bearing on the decision to dismiss."

Baker is now expected to exercise her right to appeal.

An unannounced Ofsted inspection in September this year uncovered failings in Salford's children's services team.

The watchdog's report said: "The council's strategies are not sufficiently effective in managing and prioritising risk and inspectors were unable to confirm from all case recording that the children concerned were safe. The cases of five children were raised with the council as inspectors were unable to establish from records that action had been taken to ensure that they were not at risk of harm."