Sunday 18 May 2008

Phil Dennett's Report into my whistleblowing complaint


















I have removed a section of this report as it contains interview notes with staff members, whilst this information is valid, I do not wish to publish their personal views and information as they were interviewed in confidence. Other information such as the content of this report is in the interests of the public.
Please leave some comments and I will add a further post this evening to answer them all. I will also make some points about this report. I particularly like the point 8.4 which suggests that none of the people interviewed considered either regime abusive. Oh, also, Phil Dennett did not speak to anyone who has ever worked, or inspected, a secure children's home since the UK adopted current practice and policies - despite me giving him the contact telephone number for the UK's leading inspector at Ofsted! I wonder why he would choose not to speak with a genuine inspector who knows what they are talking about?
I am aware that some staff from Greenfields are reading this blog and I, as well as other readers, would be grateful for your own comments - anonymously of course.
Please don't sit on the fence any longer, if you are not part of the solution you are part of the problem and these issues will continue until you stand up for the children's rights and your own rights. Yes Will, that includes you too, you can't just go to work and keep your head down anymore.
I think this is the time for people to speak out. One young person has and was interviewed on the Politics Show - the States of Jersey's response to this young man saying he was held in solitary confinement for long periods, they said he is lying!
I look forward to your comments on this report - Madeleine Davies' and Linda Dodds' are still to follow.



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5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Simon

Well what else would you expect from an internal inquiry that self selects the information that is to be presented.

What is missing from this investigation and analysis is an understanding of institutional abuse. Where an abusive regime has been in place for sometime, the practice becomes ingrained and serves to benefit staff rather than client. The old custom and practice approach. Any challenge to this is viewed with hostility and attempts to change will be sabotaged by those who have their comfortable ways of working to lose. It is very often not the staff's fault that they are resistant, it is cultural and if there is not support to change from above, it never will. In this case it seems that those in the senior management positively encouraged and supported the maintenance of the previous regime this is what is reflected in the account you provide.

From what you say, there were pockets of resistance to the past, however peer pressure and group conformity are powerful forces. I absolutely agree with you that the only way that this could have been investigated properly was to have invited an outside body with expertise in recognising situations where these powerful attitudes and forces are at work and give them open terms of reference to do a root and branch inquiry into the past and present running of the unit.

Only then do I think we can confidence in the service.

voiceforchildren said...

Simon.

Thank you for posting this report.

The whole thing IMO just stinks and if it were not so dangerous to vunrable children it would almost be laughable.

I have similar reports made by similar states employees which come up with the same conclusion every time. That is The States of Jersey have acted great no-one in the states of jersey are to blame for anything and no outside "independent" agency has ever been bought in.

I agree with you that staff at greenfields, past and present, should be showing you their support on this blogsite. They could even post something if they disagree with you and want to give their side of the story.

We are IMO living under a culture of fear, cover up and concealment. Also a culture of people who want to pick up a cheque at the end of the month even if it is to the detrement of vunerable children.

We are living in a society that lacks any kind of morality or any balls!!

Come on greenfields employees, Simon Bellwood needs some support, so do the children of the present and the future. If you let the States of Jersey get away with this now, it could be you, your kids or their kids next.

Anonymous said...

Another cover up. PD would probably have appointed JK , so much for an independent investigation.

This is the normal practice throughout the States - never wash your dirty laundry in public. And boy, their laundry is pretty dirty.

Anonymous said...

Simon

The investigation alludes to UK standards. It does not however state what thos e standards are.

Could you provide information on this matter.

This report appears to be an internal investigation.

If external investigators had examined the situation is there a legislation framework that they woul have used?

The report makes no reference to such issues and I would like clarification. May I also ask on the client group, were the children all offenders or would some be there because of social problems?

I ask because I recollect the Bull report (2002)stating that such a situation needed to cease immediately

Anonymous said...

On reading the report it is difficult to understand how the case had been considered.

In your original letter raising concerns you set out the problems as you perceived them and provided professional guidelines to support your views.

This report does not set out the the benchmarks of a good quality service. It provides an opportunity for Mr Kennedy to present his perspective but I do not undersatnd what his perspective is based on. He has not referred to local or national standards.

It is therefore a report that presents another party's viewpoint but does not attempt to consider the case against any professional standards.

I would argue that the Report is incomplete and somewhat haphazard

Oh well can't have everything!