A children's services boss sacked after the death of a vulnerable toddler has won a top job with a government education quango.
Jill Baker was dismissed by Salford council for gross misconduct last year following a damning report into the murder of Demi Leigh Mahon.
The two-year-old was stabbed by her babysitter after being let down by social workers 12 times.
Mrs Baker – who is taking the council to a tribunal next year – was sacked after insisting no one would be disciplined in light of the case.
In March she set up a business called Aspiration Associates with her husband.
Now we can reveal that just a month later, the company was given a lucrative six-month contract with the National College for Leadership of Schools and Children’s Services. The organisation works to ‘develop and inspire great leaders of schools, early years settings and children’s services so they can make a positive difference to children’s lives’.
Mrs Baker – who is working with councils across the north west – has been employed to help identify and train the headteachers of the future.
The college has refused to say how much the contract is worth.
But senior education sources confirmed it was likely to be ‘at least’ £50,000.
We understand Aspiration Associates was chosen after the contract was advertised and interviews were held.
Mrs Baker said: “I have set up a limited company and have a six month contract. If I do a good job, hopefully they will renew it
“I will work with local authorities to support them to make sure replacements for retiring head teachers are found and trained.”
Mrs Baker, 55, who still lives in Salford, had carved a reputation nationally over 20 years for her achievements in education before being sacked last year.
Under her stewardship the city’s schools achieved a remarkable improvement in academic results with the number of children gaining 5 A to C grade GCSEs rising to 73 per cent last year. In 2001 it was 34.3pc.
But she was dismissed after telling the media that no one would be disciplined after the murder of Demi Leigh. Social workers were warned about Demi Leigh’s domestic situation – being raised by a mother who was on drugs and could not cope – five times by police, five times by neighbours, and twice by the child’s grandmother.
Mrs Baker will still receive a lump sum of £85,000 from the council when she reaches 60, plus an annual pension of £27,000 a year.
A spokesman for the college said: “Jill Baker has been employed as a national succession consultant at the National College since April 2010 and her contract is due to expire at the end of September 2010.
“Her role involves working with local authorities, dioceses and other organisations to support and develop aspiring headteachers in schools.
“She is not involved in any aspect of children’s services or safeguarding.”
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Disgusting,
What a pension more than some people earn, what contributions has she made to that. As a retire station commander in the fire service I paid in over 26 years to the pension fund and do not receive any ammount near that. I hope that she can not sleep at night.
Well I don't think her role will be required after the spending cuts.As a teacher I think these are the kind of useless,highly paid roles that should be targeted in any cutbacks.
You have no idea what contributions she has made to that Jeff.Bitterness will hold you back in life my friend.
jeffb, buxton. You are quite right. This is the very type of public sector "gold plated pensions" the Goverment and many of the public want sorting out, not the usual staff on £20,000 a year. Their pensions are not "gold plated" and it's a myth that they are. The ones at the top make sure they look after themselves.
If someone is dismissed for gross misconduct, they should have their pension reduced. They can't take away what the individual staff put in but they should be able to remove what the taxpayer put in.
Who has written her job application C.V..? No doubt there is a gobbledegook phrase for 'sacked by previous employers'.
The National College for Leadership of Schools and Children’s Services should be scrapped - it was yet another product of the last government's scheme for taking our money and wasting it. There is no evidence that it does the least good. The real proof of how useless it is can be seen in the fact that independent schools, who have a choice, do not bother with it. The heads of MGS, Withington and Manchester Highs, Bolton School, Bury Grammar School, Stockport Grammar School, Cheadle Hulme and the other outstanding schools have been nowhere near this "National College".
I thought 'call me dave' was going to rid the UK of these bureaucratic quangos and save us taxpayers from being leeched of money by these pointless parasites!?
Disgraceful, the woman obviosly has no shame or consience
jeffb, buxton
What a stupid comment to make. I am on a final salary pension and that was one of the reasons I took the job, If you wanted better benefits then you should have sought a better job!
People like you are all fine about taking swipes at other people as you seem to think they have done better than you. You should have gone out and got more if you wanted more. This country is full of people who sit in jobs they don't like and complain about people that have done better than them!
And Croc, Manchester you live in a different world. In no way am I at the top of the government/staff grades but everyones pensions are the same. The more you earn the more you and they pay in. I pay 6.5% into my NHS pension and they pay 6%.
Blinkered people like you two are what is wrong with this country
No matter which government we have in power the liberal elite still make all the decisions and continue to ensure that their comrades get lucrative positions in non-existent jobs that benefit no one but themselves. When the bleeding heart liberals talk about public-sector cuts harming the 'most vulnerable' they are talking crap and seeking only to preserve their lucrative employment. 'Supporting and developing aspiring heads' -- what in the name fo God does that mean. As Jim Royle would say, 'Support and development, my ****!'
Well done Jill,
Unlike many in her position she wasn't fazed by dismissal, got on with it and set up her own company and won a good contract. Everyone knows that she was Warmishams and Spicers scapegoat
Well done to her, glad to see that she's picked herself up, dusted herself down, and got on with her life. And not let being made a scapegoat by that disgusting man who calls himself 'the leader of the council' ruin it.
I hope she is successful in the remainder of her career, then moves on into a long, happy, and PROSPEROUS retirement.
Disgusted by Merry's earlier comments about 'sorting out' childrens services - which was blame junior front line staff, and sack a few managers.
Typical bitter comments in here about pensions. Bitter.
[quote name=Moorlok, London]I thought 'call me dave' was going to rid the UK of these bureaucratic quangos and save us taxpayers from being leeched of money by these pointless parasites!?[/quote]
I think you heard him wrong - he only ever talked about how we've all been naughty boys and girls and broken Britian.
When it came to what we would do about it I can only recall a lot of hand movements.
Whats a quango?
I'm sure I got one because my bike saddle was like a razorblade.
Another example of "jobs for the girls and boys" is it not ?????
what a completely useless public sector in the UK. millions of non productive paper pushers; morally and ethically void parasites. the country is finished, a two tier society of minimum wage workers and fat cats in whitehall and manchester town hall.
I am amazed by some of the comments here. This is a person that was sacked from their job. She is appealing that and I make no comment on the rights and wrongs of it. What was she supposed to do? Sit around on benefits? Claim to be ill with the stress of it all? Well, she got on with her life and got a new job by interview. The article says how much was achieved for Salford while she was working there - loads of young people did better. What would people like to happen to her? I suspect there is a whole lot more to this than meets the eye with lots of dirty politics going on in the background and the need for a scapegoat. So many of these comments sound jealous and bitter.
Jill Baker knows her stuff when it comes to Education, it all fell apart when social services was lumped in with education and renamed Childrens Services, a must larger department with loads more problems. Ofsted are a funny bunch normally give 3 weeks notice of inspection, gives time for people to have things and reports in place, unannounced and the real working day is seen. It is very hard to work to Ofsted inspection conditions for 52 weeks of the year, most places would fail this type of inspection.