Children's Social Services - Will we ever get it right?

[quilp]

42 minutes ago, Chris Thomas said:

Surely we will be in a better place with action, responsibility, resource and timeframe etc...

We'd all like to think so. What do you mean by "resource" and "timeframe"..? 

[WTF]

58 minutes ago, Chris Thomas said:

Thanks for support Teapot. The full, unchanged independent report will be published at the beginning of October, as I answered to Mr Speaker in July Tynwald.

published where?  the Macau gazette and written in cuniform ?

Edited August 17, 2017 by WTF

[Chris Thomas]

46 minutes ago, WTF said:

published where?  the Macau gazette and written in cuniform ?

Tynwald order paper, and perhaps also government website

[Chris Thomas]

57 minutes ago, quilp said:

We'd all like to think so. What do you mean by "resource" and "timeframe"..? 

Typical action plan - who should do what by when etc.

[Speak The Truth]

Chris Thomas

I find your bluster and excuse making both sickening and repugnant.

The refusal, on the AG's instruction after undoubtedly request, to share the full report with those who gave evidence prior to it being given to Co Min is nothing short of an abusive act in itself.

All those who gave evidence did so on the understanding that they would receive a copy of the full report either prior to or, at the very latest, at the same time as it was shared with any government representative.

They were all assured of this by those carrying out the investigation at the start of their first meeting.

It has to have been either you, or another higher up minister who made the decision that the wishes of the investigators and those who gave evidence be ignored in this matter. As the result of that decision the investigators were threatened, by the AG's office, with legal action should the contributors be given a copy of the full report as promised.

As this was a Tynwald led investigation, supposedly outside of the influences of Couch and his cronies, and as, without being asked to do so, the AG's office would have no reason to interfere with the investigation and its terms only one conclusion can be drawn - that a decision has been made at a senior political level to attempt to interfere with the investigation in order to protect those implicated in wrong doing.

Could this be because not only was Howard Quayle informed of allegations and provided with evidence of malpractice that was, and still is, endemic in social services, but you yourself, along with every other MHK and MLC, were informed of the activities of social workers and their managers during your last term in office and chose to ignore the information given and did not even have the decency to respond to those who contacted you?

Given that those who gave evidence have been refused access to the full report and your 'excuses' for this - why is it that rather than taking decisive action against those guilty of abuse and malpractice, copies of the full report have been shared with social workers and even their support staff to enable them to potentially cover up further evidence of guilt in the many cases they deal with that have not been subject to this investigation? 

With this report you had the opportunity to show yourself to be worthy of the position the public entrusted to you.

Unfortunately, it would appear that you are as disreputable and dishonest as your predecessor and current leader. 

 

 

 

Edited August 24, 2017 by Speak The Truth

[piebaps]

6 hours ago, Speak The Truth said:

I find your bluster and excuse making both sickening and repugnant.

I find your persistent attacks on public servants both sickening and repugnant. Please try and treat people with a little more respect.

[notwell]

Does it actually matter who see the full report, in what order and when?

As long as the report itself is available to view I dont see the issue.

Of course, not matter what the outcome of that report, it isn't going to satisfy the witch hunt.

[censorship]

9 minutes ago, piebaps said:

I find your persistent attacks on public servants both sickening and repugnant. Please try and treat people with a little more respect.

Respect needs to be earned, and this episode doesn't make me want to respect the government officials involved.

I don't know if it is true that the AG's chambers have been used to threaten investigators and witnesses, but I believe this needs to be subject to an urgent investigation so that if it is not true we can continue to have faith in the independence of the chambers. It wouldn't surprise me given examples of how this body operates and the way personal relationships with members of other government bodies seemingly influence policy and approach. Mr Thomas, this should be dealt with urgently.

I don't know if it is true that complete versions of the report have been given to social workers while being denied to those who gave evidence. Mr Thomas needs to comment on this as a matter of urgency.

I do know it is true that Mr Quayle and other ministers/MHKs were made aware of serious complaints about alleged malpractice in social services, on an almost industrial scale, by people like Mr Karran, whistle blowers from within DHSC and many, many people who had been subjected to threats, bullying, intimidation and worse by social workers. This was largely ignored until the authorities gave in, thanks to Mr Karran's persistence, and allowed an independent investigation. It is extremely telling that with that inquiry complete the government is unwilling to share the conclusions with the public for months on end.

This administration is rotten to the core, we all know it and we all see it every single day, and this sorry episode is another example of that, but one which has very real and damaging consequences for children and families. We shouldn't have to live in a place where government has to be bullied into investigating serious allegations, refuses to share the findings with the public until they have been watered down and the guilty shuffled out, and can be suspected of using supposedly independent bodies to threaten investigators and witnesses and arming those subject to criticism with documentation denied to those who gave evidence, so they can cover their backs. Frankly, i'm surprised anyone is happy with this.

As I've said before, everyone will have their own point of view, based on whatever experience or understanding they have, but the truth lies within that report. This argument over who is right and who is wrong about the behaviour of social workers can be settled by simply publishing the publicly funded report.

 

[notwell]

"As I've said before, everyone will have their own point of view, based on whatever experience or understanding they have, but the truth lies within that report. This argument over who is right and who is wrong about the behaviour of social workers can be settled by simply publishing the publicly funded report"

Which it will be.  So where's the issue?

[Uhtred]

1 hour ago, notwell said:

Does it actually matter who see the full report, in what order and when?

As long as the report itself is available to view I dont see the issue.

Of course, not matter what the outcome of that report, it isn't going to satisfy the witch hunt.

My only concern about politicians having prior access to this report is that if it highlighted inaction/wrong action/ poor decision making etc by politicians (or indeed officials) then said politicians could exert undue pressure for inconvienient comments to be removed or watered down without the rest of us being aware of their shenanigans.

Edited August 24, 2017 by Uhtred
Typo

[notwell]

Who did the independent report?

Are they likely to alter it to suit?   I simply thought a neutral external party was appointed and produced their report accordingly.  I can't really see how it could be changed.

It'll be interesting to see the report. 

[Neil Down]

2 hours ago, piebaps said:

I find your persistent attacks on public servants both sickening and repugnant. Please try and treat people with a little more respect.

That "respect" does not appear to be reciprocated though

[Speak The Truth]

5 hours ago, piebaps said:

I find your persistent attacks on public servants both sickening and repugnant. Please try and treat people with a little more respect.

Oh dear!

Does this mean the former social worker Mrs Piebaps is one of those identified by the report?

Treating people with respect, respecting their rights and refraining from abusing and threatening them is something your wife and her colleagues have failed to do - resulting in the investigation.

Now they are running for cover, going sick, taking early retirement or moving of the Island in order to try and prevent their behaviour and actions being exposed.

Public servants my arse.

Self serving, dishonest, repugnant abusers funded by the public would be a more accurate description of these parasites!

 

[The Well-Manicured Man]

I've not been following this thread and don't have time to read 45 pages. Can someone give me a one or two sentence summary of what's going on?

Thanks

[notwell]

To summarise it's a witch hunt and no independent report is going to satisfy the witch hunters no matter what the findings.