Hairdresser's testimony at Tustin trial

[FallingStar21]

I know there have been several threads discussing various details around the case.. But having read the complete timeline and hairdresser's testimony, i just absolutely cannot believe that neither she or her partner called the police!
For example, she had been at Tustin's house doing her hair for 4 hours and Arthir made to sit at a table and not move for the entire time. She says she just thought he'd been naughty or something. No alarm bells ringing, really?
Different time she witnessed Arthur made to stand by the door, but not move or lean on the door etc.. Arthur given a sandwich to eat by the door while Tustin eating in the garden with the other kids... No alarm bells.
Witnessing Arthur being shouted at horrible words.
Finally, hairdresser at Tustin's with her (hairdresser's) partner seeing Arthur so frail and by their own accounts "petrified". They know Arthur had been deprived of water, because hairdresser's partner gives him a glass of water in secret... a glass, which Arthur cant even hold up to his mouth (all in their testimony) ...No Alarm bells, no nothing?!
If they were previously unsure whether they needed to do something, that last account couldn't have been more crystal clear.
I know legally it's viewed differently, but IMO these people are almost complicit in this... They too, had the responsibility to protect him once they'd seen what they saw, which was really black and white.
Just cant believe it.

@thecatfromjapan

I ❤️ Iggly.

I'm glad you posted, Iggly.

😂😂😃

@JaniieJones

'Working in an environment where every 6 months you have to deal with trying to manage funding cuts, I can well imagine it would not function very well.'

Boo fucking hoo. Most public services are underfunded but don't use that as excuse for negligence.

Arthur was seen by social workers! The bruising on his shoulders was put down to 'normal rough and tumble'. How much funding would it take for a sw to realise that is not where kids tends to bruise through normal play?! Jesus.

Imagine being a social worker where you see multiple cases like Arthur in one day?

Imagine?

Ignore the impact of austerity all you like, but that’s how children die.

The issue isn't simply Tory govenment or Labour government imo.

Let's be honest here - no colour of government have outstanding track records when it come to women and children.

Children and women are the most likely to be the victims of domestic abuse. Yet funding for social services, refuges, domestic violence interventions and even early interventions like Sure Start have been slashed by governments for many years.
The lack of interest in having a well run and functioning child maintenance service is also part of it.

Poor people - be they poor people who come from historically low wealth back grounds or ones who end up there because of drink or drug issues - are simply not a priority.

Even when those people are small children who cannot fend for themselves and for whom their lives are at stake if the services are not available it's still not a priority.

I swear people think that social workers are working one on one with families and have little else to do.

No, the case loads can be incredibly. Absolutely incredible. That’s what I’m trying to say - that’s what the funding is needed for. More social workers, social workers to be retained in the service, instead of changing so often or being temporary so they don’t have the time to build up a picture of a family. Or the previous social worker disappears without a decent handover.

It is happening right now.

Iggly you ate aware of those poor people children did die under a Labour government? And at the end of a long labour government?

Funding is definitely an issue. Any fool can see then. Poor frontline staff are usually doing the best they can, with multiple cases and limited hours. They need more staff.

Yet, the head o children's services in the council was apparently earning £120k a year. She also managed to retire at 60 (in this day and age, where state pension doesn't kick in until 66, that is an early retirement).
I'm not saying this woman should be made a scapegoat either, but to me, it seems that there is some money somewhere that is clearly being misdirected. Yes, the head of any department should be paid more than those below them (higher pay for the higher responsibility and countability), but how many sw would that kind of wage paid for? How much money in every council is being wasted on useless projects/red tape?

'Imagine being a social worker where you see multiple cases like Arthur in one day?'

Yes well I'd be able to say extensive shoulders bruising isn't fucking 'normal play' bruising at all. I'd have recommended he went to his grandparents who wanted him! Underfunding waaah waaah. Haven't you heard of incompetence??

@ElfontheShelfisLookingatYou

Iggly you ate aware of those poor people children did die under a Labour government? And at the end of a long labour government?

Where did I say that they didn’t?

Please, do quote me.

I said, I repeat, social services is a Cinderella service.

What that means is that it is overlooked and underfunded. And it’s even worse when austerity comes along because it’s an easy pie to cut in the eyes of those who don’t get it.

People are denying the reality. I get that. I used to do that too 🤷🏻‍♀️

'That’s what I’m trying to say - that’s what the funding is needed for.'

Social workers need to be competent. Doesn't matter how much money you chuck at the service if they don't know their arses from their elbows tragic cases like Arthur will keep happening. Newsflash! kids bruise on their elbows, shins and knees generally through normal play. Shoulders not so much.

I reported a neighbour once for child neglect. My dh nearly killed me. Minding ones own business was all he cared about.
People sadly don't want to get involved.. Maybe the hairdresser didn't want to lose the custom by interfering...

I don't deny we need to change so much because the law itself doesn't seem to back children.
We need far more funding as well but funding into good effective systems.
There should be computer linked systems, Arthur's name should have been on a special flagged system, eg Arthur was already in the system but was killed weeks after a visit. The moment rusting rang 999 police should have been in immediate attendance.
Everytime a call was made about Arthur, it should have caused a flag system agaisnt his name so police can see what's gone on.
Even if sw stood down his name should still have been there. It also beggars belief really that police only went around after info from the hospital.

@JaniieJones

'Imagine being a social worker where you see multiple cases like Arthur in one day?'

Yes well I'd be able to say extensive shoulders bruising isn't fucking 'normal play' bruising at all. I'd have recommended he went to his grandparents who wanted him! Underfunding waaah waaah. Haven't you heard of incompetence??

If “waa waa” is the best you have, then I refuse to engage with you.

You are refusing to understand what I’m saying. Getting all riled up, blaming individual social workers - I’m not absolving them by the way. I am just pointing out that they’re in an environment where the service is stretched so thin, they’ll be seeing this shit day in day out and may have a huge caseload.

It’s easy to blame individual social workers. I suggest some humility and learn about children social services and then come back with your childless “waa waa”.

Nothing would have happened even if they did report it ! No one took a blind bit of notice when the grandmother reported the huge bruise.

Social workers do need to be competent, certainly. For this, we also require an environment that allows them to be competent. Vast caseloads are not that.

@JaniieJones

'That’s what I’m trying to say - that’s what the funding is needed for.'

Social workers need to be competent. Doesn't matter how much money you chuck at the service if they don't know their arses from their elbows tragic cases like Arthur will keep happening. Newsflash! kids bruise on their elbows, shins and knees generally through normal play. Shoulders not so much.

Of course they will. You’re stating the obvious.

However you’re ignoring the impact of funding cuts. I am angry for all of those unseen Arthurs flying under the radar quite frankly, because social services cannot cope with the numbers left behind by austerity.

Nothing would have happened even if they did report it

I agree with this. SS were very arrogant and seem to have decided they knew best.

@Alltheblue

Nothing would have happened even if they did report it

I agree with this. SS were very arrogant and seem to have decided they knew best.

Now you’re just making stuff up.

Well yes Cinders service clearly on its knees after labour government further... Broken by the credit crunch and subsequent austerity drive.

So how much money is needed to see the bruising on this boy? How many more reports from various people saying they had concerns?

Left behind in a system run into the ground by labour, further damaged by cc and subsequent austerity.

Nothing explains however the fact these sw who where there and present didn't probe a little further and interview Arthur alone and look at his back.

As the Lord lammmig report into Victoria said, yes services are woefully underfunded but still, basic protocol wasn't enacted.

@JaniieJones

'That’s what I’m trying to say - that’s what the funding is needed for.'

Social workers need to be competent. Doesn't matter how much money you chuck at the service if they don't know their arses from their elbows tragic cases like Arthur will keep happening. Newsflash! kids bruise on their elbows, shins and knees generally through normal play. Shoulders not so much.

You need a system that allows the social workers to be around enough to see patterns.

I was seen at least 8 times as a child by social workers. Every time it was a new people, looking at new injuries.

We still don't have a system that allows for enough well trained and well funded social workers to be in place that the second, third or fourth time someone sees a child it's the same person.

I think if anything this case highlights the importance in reporting anything you feel unsure of. I reported a young 5 year old near the road side on his own stood right next to the give way sign off the pavement. I asked him where his mum was and she was in the house down the road. I told him he shouldn't be so close to road let alone out on his own and asked where he lived and he pointed. I did report my concerns as personally a child that age shouldn't be out on their own and so close to the roads edge, and also the fact he would engage with a stranger. I haven't seen him out on his own since and operater said I the right thing. Nothing might of come of it but its important these services work together so that if different agencies can liase and highlight if their is multiple concerns from different people.

We recently had ou safeguarding courses through work and have our safeguarding officer who liaises with the council and other multi disciplinarys stated the cases just like Arthur were let down due to lack of communication within the services and that the multiple concerns were not highlighted and didn't trigger the appropriate response. I think the who system needs to be reorganised.

@TheQueef

I don't think that's fair Frittileries several people around Arthur did report and follow up. The authorities didn't do their job.

The bar, both legally and in society, is too low.
It needs to be crystal clear and explicit that parenting choices never excuse abuse.
Then we need to be able to report it and have it dealt with accordingly.
Agreed the hairdresser and her boyfriend not reporting is mind boggling but the failure of the system is terrifying.

I agree.

I feel incredibly sad for the neighbours, family and school who reported their concerns and had them dismissed. That has to be hard to live with.

Nothing explains however the fact these sw who where there and present didn't probe a little further and interview Arthur alone and look at his back

I would wait for the inquiry to find out.

But when you have the Victoria Climbie citing funding as a factor, then there’s no point only blaming poor SW practice when I would argue that poor funding would have a massive impact on practice.

As I’ve already said, working in an environment like that is absolutely and utterly toxic and I can very well see how practice would be terrible.

'You are refusing to understand what I’m saying. Getting all riled up, blaming individual social workers - I’m not absolving them by the way. I am just pointing out that they’re in an environment where the service is stretched so thin'

Yes I get that. I get you think funding is the cause. I'm saying yes of course it will have an impact but in this tragic case incompetence seems to have played the greater role, no? Because no amount of funding cuts can explain how a social worker seriously documented Arthur's extensive shoulder bruising and agreed with the abusers that it was a result of 'normal play'.

How much funding is needed for basic physical abuse red flags. I mean this is basic stuff.