Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

Employment lawLatest NewsEconomics, government & businessPublic sectorUnfair dismissal

Baby P social workers lose appeal over disciplinary action

by John Eccleston 4 Apr 2013
by John Eccleston 4 Apr 2013

The Court of Appeal has ruled that Haringey Council’s decision to start a second set of disciplinary proceedings against social workers involved in the Baby P case did not make their dismissals unfair.

Prior to the trial of the mother of Peter Connelly, known at the time as Baby P, Haringey Council took disciplinary action against two social workers, who were originally disciplined according to the council’s simplified disciplinary procedure.

Under this process, employer and employee were required to agree to the simplified procedure being adopted and the employee was not entitled to appeal any warning imposed.

Following Connelly’s mother’s guilty plea in the criminal proceedings, a report concluded that the social workers’ original disciplinary proceedings had been “blatantly unsafe, unsound and inadequate”. Fresh disciplinary action was subsequently taken against the social workers and they were dismissed.

The social workers brought claims of unfair dismissal, but these were rejected by the employment tribunal; the tribunal decision was then upheld by the Employment Appeal Tribunal.

At the Court of Appeal, the main issue was whether or not a “double jeopardy” rule for disciplinary proceedings applies in unfair dismissal cases. However, the Court of Appeal held that no such rule applies.

Stephen Simpson, senior employment law editor at XpertHR, said: “This is an important decision for employers – particularly those in the public sector – that have multi-layered disciplinary procedures and may have to revisit issues as a result of external pressure; for example, adverse publicity or government reports.

“While cases like this will be rare, employers can rely on this case as authority for starting a new disciplinary process in exceptional circumstances, such as those involving the Baby P social workers.”

Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance

Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday

OptOut
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

For further information on the Court of Appeal decision, see XpertHR’s coverage.

XpertHR also has further detail on issues arising from the Baby P case, as well as information on disciplinary procedures.

John Eccleston

previous post
New hygiene measures needed to combat next generation of superbugs
next post
HR Tech Europe: Big data will enable HR to make better decisions

You may also like

HMRC releases research on removing salary sacrifice tax...

28 May 2025

Call-handler sues Met Police over reinstatement of offensive...

28 May 2025

WFH for important meeting was acceptable, tribunal rules

28 May 2025

KFC to create over 7,000 jobs

28 May 2025

Consulting giant McKinsey cuts headcount by 10%

28 May 2025

Scrapping Level 7 apprenticeship funding is a ‘major...

27 May 2025

Higher-level apprenticeship funding to be limited to under-22s

27 May 2025

HS2 labour supplier ‘falsely’ declared PAYE to inflate...

27 May 2025

Volvo to cut around 3,000 roles in restructure

27 May 2025

Three ways technology can boost wellbeing outcomes

27 May 2025

  • 2025 Employee Communications Report PROMOTED | HR and leadership...Read more
  • The Majority of Employees Have Their Eyes on Their Next Move PROMOTED | A staggering 65%...Read more
  • Prioritising performance management: Strategies for success (webinar) WEBINAR | In today’s fast-paced...Read more
  • Self-Leadership: The Key to Successful Organisations PROMOTED | Eletive is helping businesses...Read more
  • Retaining Female Talent: Four Ways to Reduce Workplace Drop Out PROMOTED | International Women’s Day...Read more

Personnel Today Jobs
 

Search Jobs

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2025

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2025 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+