‘No culprits’ over Rotherham child abuse files stolen from council office.

First reported by the Yorkshire Post.

Files relating to a Home Office researcher’s attempts to investigate street grooming of children in the town by gangs of paedophiles were stolen from a locked council office – but no culprits can be identified, investigators have concluded.

An investigation was ordered into the theft of files after evidence about the incident was given to MPs by the researcher in 2014 in which she said an unknown individual had gained access to her office in the Risky Business youth project and removed all the data relating to her work with the Home Office in 2002.

Her computer records were also “impaired” in the incident.

The report found: “There is a considerable amount of circumstantial evidence to support an assertion that an incident occurred involving the removal of files and/or impairment of computer records belonging to the former researcher.

“On the basis of our investigation and taking into account the circumstantial evidence available, our conclusion is that on the balance of probability it is likely files were removed from the Risky Business Office and computer records impaired.”

But the report added: “We have no information about who might have been the culprit(s), if files were removed and/or computer records impaired. We have found no evidence that would suggest any council officers referred to in this report were involved in the alleged incident.

“The work of Risky Business was gaining profile in 2002 and with what is known now about the exploitation of children, there might well have been strong motivation for individuals to prevent the information held in Risky Business files from being reported to statutory agencies.”

The report said the allegation had been first raised in 2002 as part of a grievance procedure but the grievance was withdrawn and the allegation not followed up.

Council officers interviewed as part of the new investigation “denied any knowledge of the alleged incident”.

The report added: “The council missed an opportunity to confirm at the time whether any removal of documents and/or impairment of computer files had occurred or not. In view of the significance of the matter, the council’s procedures should have led the council to look at the matter outside of the grievance.

Not least, there should have been recognition of the potential loss of data, reportable under the Data Protection Act.”

 http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/no-culprits-over-rotherham-child-abuse-files-stolen-from-council-office-1-8740898

Post-Rotherham, whistleblowing in social care needs an urgent review

By Martin Morton
from 204 but more relevant today, methinks.

When Community Care wanted to revisit the topic of whistleblowing within social care, I was informed by the journalist reporting that, as a social worker who was prepared to speak openly about my experience, I was a rare case. The resulting report’s title said it all: “Fear of bullying prevents social workers from whistleblowing”.

Now following the harrowing revelations of child abuse and exploitation in Rotherham, it appears to me from reading the Jay report that whistleblowing remains anathema within social care.

Findings from the report that “the environment at the council was described as macho, sexist and bullying” and “within social care the scale and seriousness of the problem was underplayed by senior managers” were infuriatingly familiar.

What struck me, as these type of revelations always do, is how Rotherham Council and other agencies involved in safeguarding vulnerable children managed to keep serious concerns hidden for so long, when it was clear that many social workers and their managers knew there was a serious issue of abuse, and had known for a very long time.

As sure as night follows day, I discovered that Unison had made claims of widespread bullying within the social services department of Rotheram council in 2010. A survey by the union shows that 75% of its members thought bullying in their department was a “serious” or “very serious” problem.

As this publication wrote in 2012: “Despite the existence of laws designed to protect those who speak out against malpractice, whistleblowers still risk their careers by doing the right thing.”
“On one hand social workers are bound by their professional code of conduct to protect service users, but on the other some employers and organisations use the unspoken threat of personal and professional ruin to keep them schtum.”
In the face of  savage cuts to services, I can’t think of a profession that needs to whistleblow more – especially about the impact on the most vulnerable people in our communities and the risks to health, wellbeing and indeed lives. However the issue of bullying is only part of the answer to the question: “why don’t social workers whistleblow?”.

Is it because social workers are not listened to or because they don’t whistleblow loudly or shrill enough?

Might it have something to do with the fact that social work training steers away from the controversial but absolutely vital area of how to safely raise concerns?
Or is it that some of our institutions are now so fundamentally broken that social workers’ ability to speak up to those in power, in the name of protecting children and safeguarding vulnerable adults, is now fatally compromised?
I believe there was an opportunity to raise some of these  – admittedly big – questions  with the setting up of an independent review “Whistleblowing in the NHS” chaired by Sir Robert Francis QC. The review intends to provide independent advice and recommendations to ensure that:

• NHS workers can raise concerns in the public interest with confidence that they will not suffer detriment as a result
• Appropriate action is taken when concerns are raised by NHS workers
• Where NHS whistleblowers are mistreated, those mistreating them will be held to account.

It is significant that this review only came about as a result of sustained lobbying by high profile NHS whistleblowers.

It is also significant that social care is excluded from this review.
In consideration of reports emanating from Rotherham, Rochdale and other places the fact that the review does not consider whistleblowing issues relating to social care is, regrettably, not only a missed opportunity but an extremely telling statement of the way social care remains the “poor relation” of healthcare.
Martin Morton is a social worker who blew the whistle on the overcharging of disabled adults in Wirral council and was forced to resign. 

http://www.communitycare.co.uk/2014/09/08/post-rotheram-whistleblowing-social-care-needs-urgent-review/

The Child Abuse Report In Rotherham.

We need to look at #Rotherham council,social services and #SouthYorkshirePolice but media would rather we focus on 'muslim sex gangs' alone.

This could only have gone on for so long with either the support or indifference of the Council leaders, Social Services and the Police.

Indifference to the problem I can understand.
I don't like it but I can understand - and heads should roll.

Support ? Well - there are kickbacks to this type of thing.
Money, sex and power are three things to come to mind.
I don't like this either - and heads should roll.

Councils and social services have 'pimped' out the children in their 'care(!)' in other areas.
I believe that the same thing has happened in Rotherham.

#CSAinquiry NOW.

I accuse the Police and Council leaders of being complicit in these crimes.
#ShaunWright and #RogerStone have questions to answer.

In Court !