Lisa Arthurworrey says Haringey was an accident waiting to happen

BBC News Online presents key excerpts from the interview, in which she blames the management at Haringey for her mistakes.

On working conditions at Haringey:

"We were given directions and we were left to carry out these directions.

"We were mainly inexperienced and it was like the blind leading the blind. Managers were preoccupied with their own careers and just were not accessible to discuss those cases with.

"Cases were just plonked on our desks with no discussion beforehand. I was carrying a caseload of 19 and sometimes I would have to work at least 12 hours a day. There were never enough hours in the day to get the work completed and I was just rushing from case to case."

On management failures:

It wasn't until after Victoria died that social workers were given copies of the procedures we should have been following Lisa Arthurworrey Climbie social worker to appeal 'I got things terribly wrong'

"Nobody seemed to care about the work that we were doing or how we did it.

"The emphasis was on progressing cases as quickly as possible. The phrase 'conveyor belt social work' probably sums up how we practised at that time.

"When I arrived at Haringey I was instructed to use the duty investigation and assessment procedures and it wasn't until after Victoria died that social workers were given copies of the procedures we should have been following.

"I took all my to issues to management and expected that if I was getting it wrong, they would tell me. They'd had the opportunity to read Victoria's file ... but they admitted to the [Laming] inquiry that managers didn't read files at Haringey.

"The managers had been there for a number of years, I was new, inexperienced. I took what they said at face value."

On her own mistakes:

Victoria had 128 marks and scars on her body and suffered from malnutrition

"I now realise that I was failing my statutory duties but at the time I didn't realise that I was getting it so wrong. I was following procedures that I thought were the right procedures to be following.

"Every case that passed through Haringey's doors placed children at risk because we were not following national guidelines.

"I made many and serious mistakes. But I also believe that at the end of the I was following flawed procedures and therefore this was an accident waiting to happen, I was bound to make mistakes."

On her appeal:

I've been scapegoated ... I'm not a risk to children Climbie worker made 'scapegoat'

"There was never any wilful neglect on my part in Victoria's case. I got it wrong because I didn't receive the support or the resources I needed to be able to get it right.

"I've been scapegoated and I've been left to carry the burden of Victoria's death.

"I'm not a risk to children, I'm not a paedophile, and I don't see why I should have to live with that cloud over my head for the rest of my life.

"I won't be able to work with children, foster or adopt, and it could even affect me if I have my own children."

Haringey's response:

"Haringey has and continues to accept the failings of our social services department at the time of Victoria's death and for this we are sincerely sorry.

"We have acted upon the recommendations of the inquiry and introduced a range of improvements including strengthening training and supervision of frontline staff and introducing a workload management system.

"All agencies in Haringey have adopted the pan-London child protection procedures.

"As Ms Arthurworrey has confirmed her intention to appeal against her dismissal, it would not be appropriate for the council to take part in a detailed discussion.

"We believe that the Employment Tribunal will decide that our decision to dismiss her for gross misconduct was fair."