THIS WEEK’S Ofsted report into child protection in Blackpool is almost as embarrassing for council leader Simon Blackburn as his infamous ‘Donkey Botherers’ jibe at local residents. The part time council leader – a registered social worker – was flapping this morning and almost lost for words as Radio Wave news editor Andy Mitchell woke up the Fylde Coast with the disgraceful Ofsted verdict.
A team of five inspectors arrived unannounced to run the rule at the end of June 2012, and they left far from impressed.
‘Inadequate’ is the worst possible grading from Ofsted, and the Labour controlled council received this grading for every aspect of their child protection provision, notably leadership, effectiveness and quality. Under the Conservatives, the council was rated ‘satisfactory’, but one should be under no illusions that this means it was a lot better than it is now.
Some commenters on Twitter and on the Gasjet have immediately jumped onto the lack of funding bandwagon, perhaps in order to try and shift some blame away from ‘Two Jobs’ Blackburn onto the government due to the austerity package that was handed down to the council after Labour ruined the British economy.
“@the_gazette: Blackpool Council’s ‘unacceptable’ failuresblackpoolgazette.co.uk/news/local/cou…” And money is being spent on roads that don’t need fixing!
— Freyja Walker (@freyjawalker) July 13, 2012
“@the_gazette: Blackpool Council’s ‘unacceptable’ failuresblackpoolgazette.co.uk/news/local/cou…” // this is the real life impact of ‘austerity’ and cuts.
— Steve Haskett (@stevehaskett78) July 13, 2012
Bollocks.
There is no lack of funding. This report makes no mention of a lack of money, in fact it states that child protection staff are protected from austerity measures. It states that there is a ‘stable workforce’, so morale should not be a problem.
Whilst proper procedure, policy and protocol are in place at the council, the Ofsted report claims that it is not being followed. Managers at Progress House bear the brunt of the tongue lashing; their poor performance and failure to follow proper procedure is highlighted again and again.
Further to this, the Director of Children’s Services and Council Leader were both slated for not turning up to meetings of the Blackpool Safeguarding of Children Board (BSCB).
Blackburn said: “What I did attend were monthly meetings of all councillors and directors involved in what was the children’s and adults and families department”.
Performance management is slammed as dire and in some cases where poor performance has been highlighted, managers have not even bothered to fill in the form stating what action they are going to take to correct it.
More money isn’t the answer to these problems.
Simon Blackburn said to the Gasjet that staff at the children’s services department work “incredibly hard”.
Not hard enough.
The report is available here.
How much is the director on? is it david Lund?
He gets criticised by the report, yes. He was on about 140 including pension if I remember right.
140k for a useless wanker,Its time the whole shithouue was cleared out, this confirms that we have always said, the councillors do not run the council, the officers do,they are the cartel thats wrecking the town.
http://www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk/news/local/15-years-to-pay-for-store-site-purchase-1-4739576
no shortage of money here, lol, dont forget new offices for the council are on the way whilst the town rots!
It’s not a cash issue though Harold, it’s an issue of people not doing their jobs properly and then whining that they don’t get paid enough, a disease endemic in the public sector.
I totally agree Phil, in 1999 I attended a course at college and spoke to people who worked for the social services at the council,their hatred of management there was unbelievabale, that they were lazy and insulated themselves from the workforce,ignored the issues, broke procedures etc this is typical of the public sector empire of executives at blackpool council,look at that bastrad donellon,peter cross etc,the whole lot of coucnil execs/officers needs vapourising.This isnt news really.
Mr Blackburn and the Chief Executive Mr Neil Jack have very short memories. Having been told of a senior officer in the council; blatantly disregarding her own Departments Safeguarding Children’s Policy; they did nothing about it, The officer concerned had the Gaul to be threatening and abusive to a member of staff who WAS! following the correct procedure by reporting someone taking photographs in a children’s play area. Needless to say the person was related to the senior officer and it was all swept under the carpet. “She should have been sacked”
Regarding David Lund; he was too busy fighting local people; who were against the development of a private children’s home on Preston New road. Mr Lund was supporting a private Manchester based company who wanted private dwellings rather than the empty council buildings that were purpose built and available.
It seems that it takes Offsted to raise a concern for any action to be taken; The Council should have been listening to its front line workers and community; not the suits who penny pinch departments to keep them on high salaries and in a job they don’t deserve or earn.
One of the best directors of education this council ever had was Dr David Saunders and guess what? He was ousted by a bully boy Director and the tail tugging Elected members who could barely stand up for themselves let alone anyone else.
Typical Blackpool.
They are very good at ding nothing about everything, except drawing their salaries and future inflated pensions.
I dont blame the cuts for this its clear this is not a new problem and as the report states goes back over a 15 year period.Most of this time we had a Tory council with a substantially higher budget provided by a labour Government.The labour council have the opposite a Tory led Government and a smaller budget. If the problems go back so far and Callow and his lot couldnt address the issues with the larger budget this suggests its not down to cash.I would be looking at the proceedures that have been in place for so long and it must be said that labour have not been in control for that long and as with all problems of this magnitude it will take time to rectify the issues. I would suggest this is a slightly anti labour thread (no surprize there)again overlooking the serious issues of child abuse.If we are going to use the analogy that things were better under the Tory council than the new labour one then the same should be said with the national picture as I seem to remember the Torys took over an economy with growth and jobs and have had just as long to make amendments to the economy..
Out of the last 15 years, the council has been Conservative for 4 of them. So you’re wrong, and that makes your whole comment wrong.
It’s not an analogy to say Children’s Services were better under the Tories, it’s true. Children’s Services didn’t get rated as inadequate under Callow, but they did under Blackburn.
I agree that under Callow childrens services were satisfactory and under the last Government we had growth and employment… This is also true
What’s also true is that this is troll bait, trying to start a separate argument, one we have had over and over ad infinitum, because you can’t ‘win’ this one.
Any government that has no limit on spending can create growth by creating highly paid unnecessary jobs, like Labour did. Labour weren’t skilled or innovative. They didn’t create growth with great policies. Anyone can create growth on the never never.
This is the end of any further comments on the economy on this topic because it is OFF topic. I will just delete your comment if you mention it again.
Its true that the private sector must take the lead in job creation, the public sector should support that where necessary and possible; under labour manufacturing declined more than under thatcher, I fear we are stuck in this mess for another decade,we are fucked and Blackpool is double fucked, when the uk recovers blackpool will be further behind more than ever
Any government that has no limit on spending can create growth by creating highly paid unnecessary jobs, like Labour did. Labour weren’t skilled or innovative. They didn’t create growth with great policies. Anyone can create growth on the never never”".
Just like to thank Osborne for disproving your opinion the latest figures show that we are in recession,no growth and borrowing is on the up;What is it with the Torys I keep saying this, they always kick their voters in the nuts just after they make bold statements like this you should learn from your mistakes Phil
Labour inherited a budget that was in surplus in 1997-8. By the end of Labour in 2010, the spending deficit was £170 billion.
The question you should be asking is how much of current borrowing is new borrowing and how much of it is Labour’s borrowing hangover?
Don’t ask it here though, because it’s off topic, but I will cook up an economy article soon so you can fill your boots.
Everyone is right here this isn’t about funding but it is about policies and procedures not being followed. You could argue (and I have heard this one so often) that the staff doesn’t have time and the staff know what short cuts to take that don’t harm their client base. I think this is rubbish as I said on another thread short cuts will eventually lead to patient being harmed; this is clearly what happened here. It is disappointing that a social worker doesn’t take harder line over this report you would think they would be more offended by it (after all that were the bucks stops).
I do have to say though that phil moaning on about SB having two jobs strikes me as a bit silly. Does he expect all councillors to be retirees?
Your definition of ‘moaning’ must differ from mine, john! But since you mentioned Mr Two Jobs, the role of the council leader is a full time one, paid a full time allowance. Is Simon Blackburn doing full time hours?
Phil, do you really know what your stance is on employment firstly you slate the long term unemployed and now you slate someone for having 2 jobs something many people are now having to do to get by. Its time to take a step back Phil and think about what you really want hard working people who want to get on or would you prefer people to sit back and not try to better themselves for example the long term unemployed?
You cannot infer my stance on employment from my labelling of Simon Blackburn as Mr Two Jobs (which is hardly ‘slating’ him as you put it). Perhaps I should start calling him ‘Bachelor Pad’ Blackburn instead, or Simon ‘Two Properties’.
If you don’t think the role of council leader is a full time one, then you wont agree with any of this.
Blackburn is a special case when it comes to employment. He is the council leader and he is being paid a full time rate for a full time job but in all likelihood is doing part time hours. Other councillors are not the same and cannot be compared. Blackburn gets 5 times more money than they do for good reason.
I’m not saying Blackburn is lazy. Far from it. But his other work commitments mean that he cannot possibly be 100% focused on that role, and as a Blackpool resident I expect him to be. You can’t just leave your work at the office as council leader. Ofsted slated him for not turning up to meetings; don’t you think this is a byproduct of having a part time leader who doesn’t have enough hours in the day?
Would you be happy if Call me Dave or Red Ed worked 20 hours a week as a social worker and 20 hours a week as Prime Minister whilst being paid full money for the latter?
I was just responding to your criticism of Blackburn calling him 2 jobs,I would say that this is a credit to him for getting stuck in. Not so long ago this site was highlighting the benefit culture and you were very clear on your stance on those who want to breed and claim benefits.Do you know for a fact how many hours Blackburn works are you privy to the meetings he has with his constituants? Blackburn could easily be working full time hours as a councillor without you knowing what he is doing as for not being commited this again is a poor assumption I would say it is easy to do a full time jOb and then take over another position where you need to concentrate I and many others do this on a regular basis exremely succesfully. You may be a one track pony but dont judge others by your shortfalls and your statement shows you are speculating with your wording ” in all likelihood”. As for the national picture did you not raise this when you stated in your final paragraph “Some commenters on Twitter and on the Gasjet have immediately jumped onto the lack of funding bandwagon, perhaps in order to try and shift some blame away from ‘Two Jobs’ Blackburn onto the government due to the austerity package that was handed down to the council after Labour ruined the British economy.Any way I will leave you to start the name calling another Tory trait, how David Cameron perhaps you should read your own threads before accusing people of trolling.Im sorry to have a different opinion than you but surely that is what this site is about debating maybe I was wrong perhaps it should be about patting you on the back even when you are clearly speculating and probably wrong
Name calling? From the person who uses words like Camercon, etc? Are you for real? I don’t know why you’re getting so obsessed with Two Jobs, obviously it tickles a nerve somewhere. If I were SB, I would take it as a compliment.
You can be assured I’m going to use this name a lot more now!
PS I mentioned the economy in passing, but didn’t use it to found an argument. I said others had been (wrongly) saying it, to shift political blame. It’s still off topic.
In fairness phil you mentioned the two jobs in your article (which doesn’t seem to have anything to do with the story but there you go).
Perhaps you are right moaning my not be the best word to use but it is as good as any. You seem to be suggesting that a full time role is 37.5 hours but if you look at this at a managerial level its bullocks.
Now every hospital in my group has a full time ED they are salaried if they work 75 hours a week or 2 they get the same pay and no one cares as long as the hospital performs. Now one ED works over two sites (and these sites are as large as most) so following the 37.5 hour rule this ED most work 75 hours and yet he doesn’t put in any more hours then must other ED’s and the two hospitals are both in the top 5 in the company.
So what I am trying to say is that hours don’t matter at a certain managerial level and I can manage two sites as well one, so this two job thing is sort of redundant argument. Equally you could put in 200 hours a week and still run a shit site which still makes the two jobs thing redundant, after all was Callow full time did you think that made him a good head of council?
Its all time management is it? and if you can at times focus more on one job then the other then you can do two jobs.
Two sites can be managed at the same time; it’s the same job but greater responsibility.
Simon Blackburn isn’t managing two sites in the same role, he’s doing two totally separate jobs which don’t have any operational synergy, and if he is doing one of these jobs he cannot possibly be doing the other at the same time.
If you were working as a nurse/ODP full time as well as managing, that would be a fair comparison.
So yes, I think it is an issue of lack of hours in the day. I don’t think I need to answer your Callow comment.
David Lund is a Twat.
and a cunt,lol
Careful Harold! You’ll be brought up before the FA for using English!?!?
Is it just David Lund fault? He was the HOD but he was in charge of highly educated professionals and it was these highly educated professionals, which failed to follow the policy and procedures. If these highly educated professionals felt that they had issues with the management structure, which endangered the people in their care, then they should have reported them to their governing bodies. The fact that they didn’t means one of two things,
1 they don’t know what they are doing and therefore incompetent and should be fired and struck of their professional register or
2 they could give a shit and therefore they should be fired or struck of their professional register.
So while we may be calling for David Lund head we should stop there we should be calling for some of the social workers heads as well.
In all we should be calling for anyone who has responsibility for children and young people; be it managers, staff or port folio holders. To do what they are paid or expected to do in line with their responsibility. The problem lies with a culture where people in high places protect each other from the rules and regulations the rest of us have to conform to, We have seen it in Banking, MP expenses, the medical profession and education. People are not dealt with in the same way as Joe Bloggs. they are moved side ways out of professional courtesy.
The whole body of council officers/execs needs removing(preferably by brute force), starting with that pustulating bulbous genital wart: John Donellon.
By this reasoning you would be in support of Bob Diamond over the Libor fixing because he didn’t know about it and as such it could be said that it wasn’t his fault!
No not at all phil I don’t see how you can draw that conclusion from my post. I did say that we should not just call for David Lund’s head but we shouldn’t stop there we should pursue the healthcare professionals who were failing to meet there professionals role profiles.
I feel we have had this discussion before phil, over the accusation of BVH using under qualified nurses to care for patients, it not enough for these professionals to turn a blind eye they have a duty of care and if they fail this duty of care then they can be struck off their register and band from practising. The failing in the duty of care by the social workers is much worse then any failing in their non clinical managers.
As for the Libor in the chief ex of a bank doesn’t follow his or her Libor ratings then perhaps he should be fired for being uninterested in his job.
Do you agree that if success is intrinsically linked with good management, failure is intrinsically linked with bad management?
Yes. I am not excusing the non-clincal managers but this doesn’t mean we should excuse the clinical staff.
How can handling or non handling of social services be linked to party politics. It’s a managerial issue. Furthermore why is being leader of council such full time job. Historically being councillor is part time. I’d have thought we’d have wanted people who work and have business or professional background in said offices. Come on Phil. This is too important an issue for cheap party political point scoring.
Simon Blackburn isn’t a normal councillor so your argument fails.
Normal councillors are part time, they liaise with their constituents and the council and thats about it. They get 6 grand for doing so.
Council leader is paid circa 28 grand, 6 grand of which is paid for the part time councillor duties you refer to.
I am given to believe that Cllr Blackburn is a professional social worker, so he should no warts and all when it comes to child protection, with his inside knowledge you would think he would no what reforms are needed to protect children and as council leader he is in a position of power to push through the necessary reforms to protect children. I don’t believe this is a money problem, I think it boils down to poor leadership at all levels and some staff being lazy and not pulling their weight.
Blackburn should be able to excel at this, and not be conned by council officers. If he cannot sort this, then their is not much chance of him sorting other council departments for the better, as he does not have the same amount of knowledge or experience to argue his case, they will run circles around him just like the Highways department are doing to his apprentice, sweet shop Fred. who would rather believe them and there stupid computer, than listen to the road users who continue to suffer with their ridiculous road schemes, obviously this department does not suffer from funding issues given that they are now changing parts of the Talbot square pavement that has only been down a few weeks and changing traffic lights which are only a few years old. This money would be better spent on putting tarmac down on some of the residential streets that are in appalling conditions.
If Blackburn cannot get child protection right, then I question his ability to be a good council leader.
well said dave,so why does the council keep allowing scum families to come and sponge here, bringing their problems with them and imposing them on the local poulation who pay for it?
It would appear that his professional ability is already in question as he allegedly failed to follow procedure when a senior member of staff failed to declare their interest in a child protection allegation. No reference of the issue was made to the Safeguarding Children’s Board.
What is also interesting; is that he has recently taken up an appointment with Bay Housing Association as a part time youth worker; a job that other applicants were equally and possibly better skilled; let alone available to do the job. Could this appointment be an easing of the wheels for Bay housing to take on some of Children’s Services responsibilities in the future?
I suppose we are fortunate that an Offsted report has brought this failing Department to light. Perhaps this could be the start of the BIG clean up that this council needs to get its house in order and to see that the priorities of the Elected Members and Council Officers is the people that live in the town. Next stop: the Arms Length Management Organisation (ALMO)
How do you know about this alleged failure to follow procedure if no reference was made to the BSCB?
Because It was reported by me and the Safeguarding Children’s Department are required to follow up all allegations. The people I reported it to failed to pass the information on; and the HR department would not investigate the matter as they considered it as hear’say.
You really are showing your true Tory colours Phil,Call Blackburn what you like the fact of the matter is he is here to stay and it is you who has a major problem with him I would suggest. As for your I only mentioned it in passing could I suggest that the fact you added 2 twitter feeds and nearly 50% of the thread, hardly sounds like something mentioned in passing. If something is off topic why mention it at all in my opinion the cuts could well be a significant factor in the failings of this department extra resources would mean more time to spend one to one with the children. Feel free to delete away it only proves to me just how wrong your opinion is,just like the thread on the NHS which vanished when you were shown to be incorrect in your assertions. If you dont like your opinion being criticized why have a forum?Perhaps we should all come on here and tell you how wonderful your opinion is now wouldnt that boost your ego?
Ofsted have said its down to people (including Simon Blackburn) failing to do their jobs properly. Therefore arguing that the cuts are the cause is off topic. I’ll take their word above yours, however desperate you are to play your broken record.
NHS nothing to do with this topic, more troll bait. Stop it.
If you took the time to read my posts you will see I stated that the cuts were probably not the cause of the problem,its sad that you base your view of Blackburn on speculation I see you havent answered one of the questions I raised in regard to the hours he may or may not be working.I now this will be off topic even though its not off topic when you mention it just like the cuts.Im beginning to feel sorry for you as you are clearly out of your depth again this is off topic so just what was the topic of this thread? Quite sad you have to lower a serious problem down to a dig at the leader of the council
lol, take your Labour glasses off Cardy, Simon Blackburn’s stewardship has seen children put in serious danger by his legion of useless, overpaid, Labour voting, pen pushing office jockeys.
That’s the only fact that matters.
Here is a thought for you Phil if this is Blackburns fault just how many policies have been changed since the Torys were in power? If you are correct this would suggest there would be wholesale changes to policy,has this happened or was the service in decline prior to Blackburn taking the helm? And again still no answer to the allegation that he is part time? Hows about some facts to back up your speculation. I know its Tory policy to jump in without consideration of the facts hence all the u-turns however I thought you were supposed to be constructive in your opinion and view point this certainly isnt coming across here Phil.
I don’t recall saying it was ‘Simon Blackburn’s fault’, so again your comment fails.
However, this council is led by Simon Blackburn and has been for over a year, so he must shoulder blame just as Peter Callow has to for all the Callow carbuncles, Crystal Road etc and just as Bob Diamond has to for ‘some of his staff’ fixing Libor.
Bob Diamond did the right thing and resigned, and since vulnerable children is far worse than what Barclays did, Blackburn should not only resign but also burn himself at the stake.
You are being trolly in respect of the part time working, and again trying to divert the topic to something more amenable to you, when actually the topic is that children are vulnerable under this current council’s social care arrangements.
I enjoy you two when you get your handbags out
Cardy have you upset Phil in a previous life as you seem to be the only poster on here who can raise his hackles? BTW Mr Bolshevik Troll that isn’t an endorsement, just an observation 
INSERT INTO tt_screen (comment) VALUES(“I’m not raging, honest”)
To be honest TT I’m just wondering when Cardy is going to actually accept the Ofsted report instead of desperately trying to fight Simon Blackburn’s corner.
Nice bit of SQL that sums it up nicely
Perhaps this also could be valid:
insert into blackburn_backpassage (licker) values (‘Cardy’s Tongue’);
Commit;
oops typo – double quotes required:
insert into blackburn_backpassage (licker) values (“Cardy’s Tongue”);
Commit;
Phil are you suffering from alzheimers? Was this the reason for the long break? The thing is I am putting forward questions about your opinion which you have failed to answer apart from bleeting on about off topic.Again I was only responding to YOUR off topic remarks I find it quit sad that someone who formally quoted empirical facts is now stooping so low as to use tittle tattle as a basis for their opinion.
TT no one likes a kiss ass I bet you were teachers pet,. Phil as for “fails” this whole thread has failed with your lack of facts I feel sorry for you,you are clearly envious of Blackburn but dont worry Blackburn has shown us that we can all achieve things if we aim high enough.
Oh grow up cardy, I’ve answered all your comments that are on topic.
Cardy, I’ve never kissed anybody’s arse (not ass you plastic yank) in my life. I don’t always agree with Phil on everything – that’s called diversity and freedom of speech and expression – something you bolsheviks know nothing about. I live by a very few set of rules one of which is: The only good bolshevik is a dead bolshevik. This I have learned through life experience in coming into contact in a negative way with marxists.
Don’t get me started on the millipede brothers.
TT I really detest people like yourself who love to have a pop at people and then whing like a crying baby when they get some back,this is you all over. You started the petty name calling and now your whinging.All I did was point out what a bigot you are demanding your freedoms whilst opposing freedoms of others then there is your language I suppose this makes you feel big using swear words your a credit to your faith Im sure your parents would be proud of you.
TT. Isnt it funny how people who dish out crap dont like it when they get some back. For your information freedom of speech and expression are actually known as Article 10 ECHR something I probably know a lot more than you about. Article 10 is a limited Right so technically you can say what the Government allows you to say.As for Human Rights these are the reasons we are in so much trouble now it has cost millions of pounds to get Abu Qatada deported and it still hasnt happened yet. I admire your stance on Human Rights and I applaud you for this its people like you who have kept a potential terrorist in the country,then there was the little girl killed by an asylum seeker who left her to die under the wheels of the car he should not have been driving at least he to can celebrate his Article 8 rights in this country. You see TT I know plenty about these things education is a wonderful thing you should try it!!!! Human Rights dont you just love them Im waiting for the Mosque on Waterloo Road to come up with a challenge based on Human Rights any time soon and guess what I bet they will be successful just like all the ones built round Blackburn even though they didnt blend in with the surroundings, other buildings had been turned down for planning permission because of this reason.
TT just read your anti mosque post,Are you the only person who is allowed their Art 10 rights?All these people want to do is express their religious view ( covered by the Human Rights Act) . Looks like your more in touch with the bolshoviks than you think.
Sorry Cardy, reading the Daily Express doesn’t count as education.
At least the express bases its articles on fact, sadly you cannot you say the same.
If you think that, you must only look at the pictures.
lol
Still laughing that you admitted to reading it, but then you are sort of in their demographic with your obsessive anti-immigration views.
Im a lot more in line with the Torys than you think.Im not racist just patriotic.Why should illegal immigrants be treated better than UK pensioners? They shouldnt be here end of. Even ones who are here legally should be deported if they break our laws.I also agree to a benefits cap though this should be staggered so that people who already have a family wont suffer and others would then have the choice as to how they will fund their family and the problem would eventually rectify itself. Im a great believer in the NHS even if some of its staff are inept.I would hate to see Councillor Cox getting a pay decrease caused by these cuts, nurses should be valued as should all medical staff. I like many Torys realize that the EU is not the way forward for the UK we are strong enough to stand alone we dont need the ECHR we helped found Human Rights its the EU which has driven forward these ridiculous policies,who is paying someone to come up with things like the internet is now a fundamental Human Right? Its not a right its a privilege for those who can afford it.
As for TT I was playing devils advocate highlighting his Art 10 rights and highlighting the issue with the Mosques fArt 10 issues. I dont like people that abuse Human Rights claiming their right to whatever whilst opposing another individuals claim to the same Rights
Cardy. What the fuck are you waffling about – at what point was my post an “anti-mosque” post? A mosque cannot be a mosque if it has been set up by breaking the law. Fact both in UK law and Islamic practice.
I could wake up one day, have a brainstorm and call my house a synagogue, but I bet my neighbours and the Jewish community would be straight onto the council planners to complain about my anti-social behaviour and quite right too.
You really are an obnoxious little keyboard-warrior troll who likes to pick a fight. Better not feed you further.
My! my! you boys have been busy, and not a word about any cases to deal with. I wrote a quick note on the gasjet the other day about a young man I occassionally care for when his Foster Parent has appointments out of town etc. Before some clown asks, yes I have had a CRB check for the agency. This is a brief as it gets, he had been living with his mother and her new partner who she had another child too. His dad didnt get custody, but wanted it for all his children when they divorced. The new partner would lock him in a cupboard/room and deny him food as a punishment and the mother was aware of the whole process. He couldnt turn to her for support, so poor lamb started getting aggressive at school bla bla etc. They fostered him out to a good friend of mine, and he has been coming on wonderfully, in the 2 years she has had him. The mother left the Irish guy who started getting aggressive with her, a bit late if you ask me, she is now with yet another guy. His dad wants him back living with him and is distraught at the fact that the powers that be have just given an order that he is to go back to his mother again ,ARE THEY MENTAL. He made it quite clear he really dosent want to go back to his mother, she was part of the problem in the first place, and one of the social workers told him some times a child dosent know whats good for him and that adults know best what a crock of sh….Then they wonder why no one has any faith in their judgement. He has said he will run away, poor lamb thinks he is being punished all over again.This is whats wrong with the system,the little individual on the receiving end of someones ego. His father never did his child any harm in the first place they just divorced, where is the sense in not allowing him to go to his father who loves him very much, this is madness.
Hi Kate. I have studied this particular area and its not the social workers to blame here its the judiciary, and how they interpret the law.In the senario you have given there have already been several cases where the judges have insisted that the child is better with the mother than the father.The whole system is geared up in favour of the mother including access to the child. This really makes me mad because as you state fathers are equally capable of raising children and s1 of the Childrens act 1989 states that the “child’s welfare shall be the court’s paramount consideration” by overlooking the father this clearly isnt happening, so sadly the social workers hands are tied by law and or the cost of an appeal by the mother in the courts which isnt the cheap option.
Where ever the fault may be it needs to be changed. I am all in favour of the father having just as much right as the mother in a lot of cases. Every case should be judged on merit, if as it is clear to see the father has the love of his children and the mother is a waste of space then there should be no question who gets custody, rather than have a child passed from pillar to post and countless father figures in his life at the behest of a witless woman who trips from one relationship right into another one time after time. Then people wonder why we have defective children with the breakdown of the family unit, they are a result of their upbringing or in some cases lack of it. What example does this behaviour set.
Cardy you are quite right about the decision, I just had conformation from Social Services that it was the judges decision. I got a call this morning from a friend of mine informing me that a certain person had made it his business to inform them of my posts. They are now aware of my opinion on the whole case and wanted to know where my information came from which of course was from the young man himself. DO NOT think for one minute that if something is wrong with a system I wont rock the boat or light a fire under someones rear end to get them to do their job properly think again. Pathetic.
Kate you shouldn’t be speaking about this youngster’s case on a public forum. In spite of not naming him personally, you have described enough about his personal circumstances that somebody who knows him reasonably well could identify him and that is a breach of trust as well as being unprofessional.
And you know that for a fact, I may have slightly altered the information so as not to make it obvious who he is. I am not that stupid.
But Kate not a professional she has not got professional registered body to answer to therefore she may be well meaning but unaccountable for her actions. She has demonstrated this with her post if you are a trained professional and put such a post up you would be dragged up before your professional and governing body and struck off. The fact Kate changed some details (or did she) doesn’t make a difference here (it may make it worse) because people who know Kate will know who this child is or (even worse) will presume to know who this child is and be mistaken and it may be another child and they will be thinking aren’t these innocent parents awful and go up and punch the father.
Now Kate doesn’t phils article demonstrate how not following protocols and policies will harm people in care. The social worker weren’t following these and harm came to people in there care. The fact that you don’t think there is any harm in doing the same shows you are at fault no-one else.
what an imagination you have, over active I would say but then who cares.
Not really Kate I am just saying as a non professional you don’t seem to understand the harm you may have done and even if you did who are you answerable to? I also think Kate that your answer to TT point that you shouldn’t be posting these personal details in public was nothing short of idiotic.
we will be calling you psychic next, “The fact Kate changed some details (or did she) doesn’t make a difference here (it may make it worse) because people who know Kate will know who this child is or (even worse) will presume to know who this child is and be mistaken and it may be another child and they will be thinking aren’t these innocent parents awful and go up and punch the father”.
Now you see this is where you lost it, why punch the father who genuinely loves his son, why not punch the guy who abused him, that would make more sense.
By the way people who do know me wouldnt read this blog just so we are clear on that point so as not to taxing your brain for anymore what ifs whys and where fors
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-18856680
lol NOT in Blackpool!
Health was one of the original pulls to Blackpool, believe it or not. People came on doctors orders to drink the seawater which apparently promoted bowel movement. 8 glasses of water was the recommended amount!
lol lol nice one phil so its 8 glasses of meths down central dive now? lol
Now all they need to do is drink the tap water lol
Most of the sea water round here has fell out of peoples bots in the first place…..No wonder it promotes further bowel motions.
Bloody violent ones I would venture!!!!
On topic why is it always the Torys who seem to be in trouble with sexual preferences?First there was that bigot from St Annes and now another disgraced councillor who likes children allegedly its no wonder the town is in such a state its a good job we now have a labour council to put the town right.
Always the Tories?
Labour Councillor (Stoke/Staffordshire), Michael Barnes guilty of downloading Child Porn. In November 2004 Councillor Barnes appeared at North Staffordshire Magistrates Court, to face seven different charges relating to child pornography. http://mightierthanvsword.blogspot.com/2010/04/list-88.html
Labour Councillor (Lambeth) Toren Smith is guilty of possessing indecent images of children. Smith was arrested on 21 May 2010 and bailed pending further investigation. He escaped a jail term but was given a 12 month suspended sentence and ordered to sign the sex offenders register. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-13346647
Labour senior clerk Phillip Lyon is guilty of making indecent images of children. Phillip Lyon arranged the weekly Prime Minister’s Question Time for Tony Blair, was arrested after vice cops raided his Commons office. http://headlinestoday.co.uk/2002/11/21/commons-clerk-held-on-child-porn-charges/#more-621
Labour Councillor (Walsall) Jonathon Phillips is guilty of being in possession of child pornography. He was arrested and bailed by police in 2008 pending further investigation. He was found guilty of to counts of possession of indecent images of children in May 2009. http://www.expressandstar.com/latest/2009/05/18/child-porn-find-at-town-hall/i
Labour Councillor (Southwark) John Friary is on trial 31st May for grooming a child for sex on the social networking site Facebook. She is only 13 years old. Friary has close links with Harriett Harman and was first questioned by police earlier this year. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1352501/Labour-councillor-John-Friary-questioned-grooming-underage-girl-sex.html
Labour Councillor (Rhondda Cynon Taf) Steve Carnell is on trial 3rd June for possessing more than 10,000 indecent images of children. He was charged on May 6th and has spent a month in custody. http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/south-wales-news/rhondda/2011/05/07/ex-councillor-facing-charges-of-possessing-more-than-10-000-indecent-images-91466-28650085/
A FORMER councillor accused of downloading child porn deleted hundreds of files off his computer the day after his party leader revealed he was under investigation.One-time Clubmoor councillor Benjamin Williams, 35, admitted he had removed 207 files from his computer’s memory the day after speaking to Liverpool Labour leader Cllr Joe Anderson in December 2007.
History and politics teacher Williams had originally fallen under suspicion in October 2006 after the IT manager at Southport’s King George V (KGV) college discovered he had been putting explicit terms such as “Lolita” and “child porn” into school computers.
http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-news/local-news/2009/09/25/liverpool-teacher-acccused-of-downloading-child-porn-quizzed-over-deleted-files-100252-24776501/
Liam Temple – Labour Councillor and former Mayor (Halton/Cheshire), convicted of `Inciting a child under 16 to commit an act of gross indecency` after the 58-year old Labour pervert had attempted to molest a 12-year old girl.
http://www.chesterchronicle.co.uk/chester-news/local-chester-news/2005/04/14/ex-mayor-guilty-of-sex-offence-59067-15400885/
Stewart Brown – Former Labour Mayor of Hebden Royd, Yorkshire, pleaded guilty at Leeds Crown Court to 21 offences of possessing indecent images of children and one of distributing the depraved pictures.
http://www.hebdenbridgetimes.co.uk/news/local/child-porn-charges-ex-mayor-disgraced-1-1814402
Sam Chaudry – Labour Councillor and Mayor-Elect (Merton/London) – Due to become Merton’s first Asian Mayor before he was arrested – tried and convicted of multiple sex attacks on young girls. One of his victims was a 5-year old.
Nicholas Green – Labour Mayor and Council Leader (Westhoughton/Lancashire)- convicted and jailed for 10 years for 3 rapes and 13 counts of indecent assault against little girls between the age of 6 and 10.
http://www.hebdenbridgetimes.co.uk/news/local/child-porn-charges-ex-mayor-disgraced-1-1814402
Keith Potts – Labour Party Councillor and junior School Governor – cautioned after 24 indecent pictures of children were found on his computer.
http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/5012009.Governor_cautioned_over_porn/
Alan Prescott – Labour Councillor (Hornchurch/Essex), also a senior magistrate, convicted and jailed for 2 years for molesting children at the East London care home where he was the superintendent.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2001/oct/24/childrensservices.guardiansocietysupplement
Terry Power – Labour Party Councillor, sex attacks on boys.
Joseph Shaw – In April 2009 A former Wigan Labour councillor who downloaded child porn and had a gun and ammunition in his safe was jailed for six years. A court heard that Joseph Shaw’s offending came to light after his daughter found the indecent images on his computer. Liverpool Crown Court heard that Shaw had been a Labour councillor for Wigan West for three years and also a member of the Greater Manchester Transport Authority.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/5166986/Councillor-jailed-over-gun-and-child-porn.html
George Harding – Labour Party Councillor, indecent assault on a child.
Lee Benson – Labour Councillor (Halton/Leeds), convicted after pleading guilty on 12 counts of possession of indecent images of children, featuring youngsters between the ages of 5 and 11.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/west_yorkshire/4257867.stm
Raymond Coates – Former Labour Councillor (North Yorkshire), charged along with his son Philip Coats with child rape, using threats to procure a woman for sex and, wait for it… inciting a woman to have sex with an animal. Coates junior was sentenced to 13 years in prison for his part in the Father & Son rape and bestiality double-act, although the trial of 76-year old Raymond Coats was abandoned after the court ruled he was too ill to stand trial.
Les Sheppard – Labour Councillor (Coxhoe/Durham) – convicted on ten counts of indecent assault on young girls between the ages of 9 and 13. Jailed for 2 years, and placed on the sex offenders register for 10 years.
http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/archive/2005/02/05/The+North+East+Archive/6962504.Liberal_Democrats_celebrate_victory_in_city_council_poll/
Martyn Locklin – Labour Councillor (Newton Aycliffe/Durham – In Tony Blair’s Sedgefield constituency), convicted on 8 counts of rape and indecent assault on teenage boys and jailed for 15 years (reduced to 12 on appeal). Locklin was a top local Party bigwig on first-name terms with Tony Blair.
http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/archive/2001/07/04/The+North+East+Archive/7105351.15_years_prison_for_sex_shame_politician/
Nelson Bland – Labour Councillor (Wokingham/Berkshire), convicted on 16 counts of possession and distribution of hardcore child porn.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/berkshire/3566133.stm
Greg Vincent – Labour Councillor (Newham/London), Election Agent to Labour MP Tony Banks at the 2001 General Election – convicted and given a 2-year community rehabilitation order for possession of hardcore kiddie porn films
Alec Dyer Atkins – Labour Councillor (Northampton/Northamptonshire), and former School Governor, convicted and jailed for 2 years for downloading more than 42,000 pictures and films described in court as “Horrifying images of child abuse”. Dyer-Atkins was a member of an international paedophile ring called `The Shadows Brotherhood.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2003/05/24/exlocal_councillor_gets_two_years/
Keith Rogers – Labour Councillor (Westlands/Worcestershire), convicted, fined, and placed on the sex offender’s register after downloading over 2,000 hardcore child porn photos on his computer.
Paul Diggett – Labour Parliamentary candidate (Cheadle/Cheshire), subject of a 2002 police investigation into the alleged procurement of underage girls for sexual purposes via internet chatrooms. According to the `Sunday Mirror` (3/11/02), Diggert had admitted to having four underage girls that he was `grooming` for sex. In 2004 Diggert was convicted of making and distributing indecent pictures of children.
http://menmedia.co.uk/stockportexpress/news/s/311/311427_paedo_shame_of_exlabour_politician.html
Peter Tuffley – Labour Party Official (North West England Regional Officer, and parliamentary adviser to one time Home Office Minister responsible for crime and policing, Hazel Blears), convicted and jailed for 15 months and placed on the sex offenders register for 10 years in 2006, for the sexual molestation of a 13-year old boy that he had previously `groomed` on the internet. Tuffley was described as a `rising star` within the Labour Party.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/manchester/6184405.stm
Mark Trotter – Labour Party member & super activist – child rapist with Aids
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/45312.stm
Yusef Azad – Labour Party on the Greater London Assembly. Computer seized in anti-Child Porn Operation.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/2658067.stm
Gilbert Benn – Labour Party Councillor. Molesting a boy.
http://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/news/environment/former-councillor-guilty-of-child-sex-charges-1-116662
David Spooner – Labour Councillor (North Lincolnshire), convicted and jailed for 1 year for masterbating in front of 2 young boys.
Mark Tann – Prominent Kent Labour Party activist (who met Tony & Cherie Blair at Party functions) convicted and jailed for 15 years in 2002 for sexually assaulting a girl of 9, and raping a 4-year old girl on 2 separate occasions.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/2669865.stm
Lestyn Tudor Davies – Labour Councillor (Bridgend/South Wales), convicted, jailed for 7 years, and placed on the sex offender’s register for life in 2005, for repeatedly raping a 9-year old girl.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/1141519.stm
Actually yeah you’re right Cardy it’s only the Tories.
Feck me.. Do the Labour party chair a Commons committee on this stuff?
You have wasted your time Phil you post is off topic this is a local issue and as such your post fails. Thats how it works isnt it?
Is that Cardy language for “Phil, you just smashed my pathetic comment into a million pieces”?
Well that would be a first!!!! Cant see any local labour councillors on your list? Perhaps this is your way of diverting attention from the corrupt,depraved Tory party we are so used to seeing in Blackpool. I hope this isnt the case no one likes a paedo defender
You said, “why is it always the Torys who seem to be in trouble with sexual preferences”.
I proved you wrong.
QED.
I suppose that is the perk of running the site you can change the goal posts to suit.I thought this issue was the welfare of children in Blackpool.The fact that a former Tory councillor was part of that threat (allegedly for now) should not be watered down with national issues.Good to see you watering down the issue with a suspected sex fiend (also known as a Tory)
Your assertions are muted by the fact that the new council was provided via mail and email of sufficient evidence of malfeasance by Ex Service cabals to embarrass a Russian oligarch. CDs of meetings were delivered to the councillors and the only response from Red Simon was “they have my complete support”.
What does one have to do for the local population to get outraged? Suspicions of child murder and cannibalism does not do it! Gross indecency at the very heart of local dedication does not do it! Flying pink flags over the Town Hall does not do it!
Writing your feelings in basic Anglo Saxon prose appears to go closest to it, but you can only complain if you are an immigrant, on the dole, with two hundred close relatives signing ballot papers from the same terrace house.
The flaunting of planning laws and the absolute terror on council officials because they are dealing with “immigrants” chastens and restricts all reasonable debate. The same seems to be said when you direct people to their strange iconoclasm of individuals, as religious fanatics do with their condemnations and fatwas to everything that isn’t to what they want.
Now the Lottery Funds have given another £9k to an organisation which is not a charity and appears to have been a pensions vessel for an odious character. That, despite the fact that they too are in receipt of evidence of malfeasance!!!! Perhaps we should all become Keith Vaz and ride the tide of suspicion long enough to become Holier then Holy and be elevated to the highest offices? It is time that others accept the evidence and stop covering for the graft and criminality that is endemic within this new UK?
Perhaps Peter Callow should be apologized to after being castigated for his immediate and strong action in relation to personnel within his ranks. Perhaps too the smears and campaign of victimisation against Arthur Roe ought to be stopped and the true perpetrators of malfeasance brought to book. And it is about time that council officials and councillors alike listened to those who spoke with no malice but only the best intention of charity and not self gratification as some groups obviously do?
How much damage has been done for our children by all this Political Correctness?
Question Did Julian Manure write this report?
Smile for the camera.
(. )( .)
http://www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk/news/local/child-services-failing-again-1-4762644
here we go, again!
Its why the child grooming gangs roam with impunity……
There is a huge underlying problem in the UK of this sort of thing particularly in the northern England mill towns and one which goes largely unreported..
No need for me to explain why this is most people will be able to work it out for themselves.
The Telegraph gave a few column inches to it around the time of the Oldham/Rochdale cases saying there were another half a dozen like cases in the courts process.
I feel the media are being leant on to keep this quiet as quite clearly if it becomes common knowledge that this is a big problem it is not going to do much in the interests of community cohesion….
they cant surpress the internet..(yet), why anyone would want buy a newspaper these days is beyond me.
Some already call the print newspaper industry ‘The Dead Tree Press’….
It can only be a matter of time before they die out completely..
As for suppressing the Internet they are already beginning to enact the means..
http://www.openrightsgroup.org/ourwork/reports/communications-data-bill%E2%80%93aka-the-snoopers-charter
Should have mentioned Jack Straw knows this is a problem and has stuck his head over the parapet to say so but was not supported by his labour colleagues.
He and Frank Field are about the only Labour politicians I have any time for. Field because he knows the welfare state is broken and in need of urgent reform but when he ‘thought the unthinkable’ as the minister responsible, was despatched back to the back benches in damn quick order by that odious turd Blair……..
Exactly why we need sites like this one!
John, Geezer and many, many more observers are so correct.
To placate the stupid, a past Lieber Government brought in an Act to protect whistle blowers. It had the opposite effect and all the thieves in Parliament and the paedophiles in their nefarious groups laughed all the protected way through the Human Rights Act. Only this week we learn that a policeman, dismissed from one force, was recruited by another and went on to be culpable in the death of a sick man. In Lancashire a family was told by the police that they would not discipline any officer over the Corporate Homicide of Sandgrown’un Andy Miller as it would put the officer’s non-investigation in future jeopardy! Self interest or what?
When a new group emerged, initially as a charity and then suddenly as a CIC, all the warnings were brushed aside and councillors cowed but persisted in taking sides against families with children serving in Illegal Wars. I make no apologies for mentioning Melanie Mullins and the atrocious treatment she has endured at the hands of councillors and this ‘alleged’ paedophile ensemble, combined. The protestations of innocence and promises of disproving everything some have said about these groups and their nefarious actions are coming home to roost. The Gasjet had information, as did the council, that all was not well in the Charity Shop World, but either failed to investigate or colluded in a cover-up. They preferred to take the uncorroborated lies of self interest against the proven evidence of a whistle-blower who had ruined their own future in welfare and child safety because the happy smiling face of deceit and collusion was more acceptable than the truth. The whistle blower was one of the very few qualified and accredited caseworkers, though not a once has any one from the authorities had the courage to ask for the accreditation of those stealing charity monies and interfering allegedly with children. There persist advertising and provision of case notes – fact or fiction – which and whereby true caseworkers would be running a mile to protect every aspect of client identity. The motto is/was “for the needy, not for the greedy”.
Without mentioning names, this was turned on its head when the council, the FESLC et al jumped into bed with a charlatan. http://fylde-bootnecks.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/armed-forces-week-with-another.html