Cover up of CSA- this is why safeguarding matters

[Faffertea]

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-57984924

Just listening to the report on the cover up of CSA by Lambeth council over years. Part of the report highlights a failure to information share and to allow people to move on under different names without information sharing. It also highlights how many members of the council had no expertise in child safeguarding and were elected on an ideological basis (Labour councillors fighting the Conservative government of the time).

This is why safeguarding matters. This is why no one can be sacrosanct or exempt from the rules that keep children safe.
An ideology that promotes the rights of adults to be exempt from any element of safeguarding because of their own feelings puts those children at risk of exploitation by those with nefarious intent.

This isn't just one council it's the majority of them. One of the reasons I'm so angry about the 'it's only a small number of men' argument is that it ignores that there are not only multiple victims but multiple crimes with the same victim. Even if they are prosecuted it's only for a few of the many crimes they've committed. It's an extension of victim blaming and shaming to victim erasure.

Entirely agree about the importance of safeguarding.

Disgusting- those poor victims.
Allowing people to move on under different names?
FFS

An ideology that promotes the rights of adults to be exempt from any element of safeguarding because of their own feelings puts those children at risk of exploitation by those with nefarious intent.

Hear hear.

An ideology that promotes the rights of adults to be exempt from any element of safeguarding because of their own feelings puts those children at risk of exploitation by those with nefarious intent.

Absolutely, no-one and I mean no-one should be excused or exempt from safeguarding.

I think we have the makings of a new Staniland type question here. Something like:

"Is it acceptable for anyone to be excused any part of the safeguarding procedure because of a name or identity change or because they may be upset at investigation of their previous identity?"

That should sort the sheep from the goats.

Yes, Newly, good call.

'Is it acceptable for someone to be exempt from safeguarding procedure if the procedure is likely to cause distress'?

Yes newly. Agree

The council were to busy chasing a political stance

It seems no one learns lessons and children suffer again

We have the girl guides doing the same

Nobody should be exempt. How ridiculous.

I saw this on the BBC earlier, they had a former Labour Councillor from the time on to talk about it. I had to turn it off as all she seemed bothered about was saying that she knew nothing about it and no Labour Councillor would be involved with any of it or the cover up. The only thing going through my head was yeh right and hello what about PIE

Has anyone been charged with criminal offences on this including politicians ?

The report said: 'During that time, children in care became pawns in a toxic power game within Lambeth Council and between the council and central government.

'This turmoil and failure to act to improve children's social care continued into the 1990s and beyond.'

It said 'bullying, intimidation, racism and sexism thrived within Lambeth Council', all of which was set within a context of corruption and financial mismanagement which permeated much of Lambeth Council's operations.

The report acknowledged there were 'much-improved systems in Lambeth', but said there was still evidence of a more recent case, from 2016, in which an allegation of rape did not result in a strategy meeting taking place to consider the claim.

The report added: 'For several decades, senior staff and councillors at Lambeth Council failed to effect change, despite overwhelming evidence that children in its care did not have the quality of life and protection to which they were entitled, and were being put at serious risk of sexual abuse.

This is a very good piece

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9830433/Lambeth-Council-staff-vulnerable-children-path-sex-offenders.html

Reading the BBC coverage of this, something stands out to me:

The council was mired in corruption and financial mismanagement during the decades of abuse, with "politicised behaviour and turmoil" dominating its culture, according to the report.

The report partly blames the Labour council's battle against the Conservative government in the 1980s, saying it sought to "take on the government" to the detriment of local services.

"During that time, children in care became pawns in a toxic power game within Lambeth Council and between the council and central government," the report added.

We know that we are in a period of increased political polarisation, with parties loyality put above all else. We also know that this is not unique to any party. We know that there is an active culture war going on with the mantra 'you are either with us or against us'.

This stops us looking at problems - particularly whistleblowing issues where safeguarding is relevant - because loyalty to the party and protecting individuals is more important than public well being.

This does not bode well, because our current political climate means we are open to this dynamic being abused to the detriement of those who are vulnerable in society.

It makes it very difficult to believe that this problem is historic and isn't going on now in same form...

I think it is red trotthbrush

After all it’s only common forgotten children. They don’t count do they ?

Now we are called looked after children

Naw we were never looked after

Very few people have been sent to prison for this.

177 adult sex abusers in one home alone.

How did this happen

ITV just said throw your tv throw the window when you hear this. Thank you ITV

The council just didn’t care enough.

Our country should be apologising to the victims. Thank you ITV

Tragically it wasn't just Lambeth. There were a number of London councils where children were routinely abused in homes and boarding schools. There were some determined council staff (mainly woman) in the late 1980s /90s investigating what happened to children and listening to them but being ignored / alienated by senior staff who focussed on protecting the LA rather than children.

I heard about this on the radio and couldn't believe my ears. Those poor children. When will safeguarding be put first. Where there are children there will be paedophiles they need rooting out and dealing with.