Tag: Old Boys Network

Whistleblowing: Council has more work to do, says review

Suzanne Tanner makes FIFTY recommendations for improvement

The findings of an independent review into the whistleblowing and wider organisational culture at the City of Edinburgh Council have been published.

The review was commissioned by councillors in October 2020, with Susanne Tanner QC appointed as independent chair. As with the inquiry into the conduct of the late Sean Bell, published last month, she has been assisted throughout by well-respected law firm, Pinsent Masons.

In her report, which councillors will consider at a meeting next Thursday (16 December), Ms Tanner QC highlights ‘considerable strides’ taken to improve the Council’s whistleblowing and organisational culture since 2014 but also finds that significant work remains to be done, setting out 50 recommendations for further improvements and positive change.

If accepted by councillors next week, Ms Tanner QC’s findings will form the basis of an action plan to be drawn up by the Chief Executive for consideration by councillors in February 2022.

The fifty recommendations are:

Chief Executive Andrew Kerr said: “I want to thank all those who took the time to contribute to the independent review. I know that, for some, this will have been extremely challenging, based on what they have been through, and I want to pay tribute to their courage in coming forward.

“I also want to thank Ms Tanner QC and the team at Pinsent Masons for their forensic approach to their work and the sensitivity and care with which they treated contributors.”

Council Leader Cllr Adam McVey said: “We owe it to our colleagues and to the public to continue to drive improvements and make sure the culture of the Council is the best it possibly can be.

“I’m grateful to the independent review team for outlining points that need further work and for setting out strong and thorough recommendations on how to sustain the positive path the Council is on. The report highlights the significant progress and improvements made to the Council’s whistleblowing culture in recent years and this should give all of us encouragement that further improvement can be achieved.

“It will take a lot of work to implement these independent, robust and constructive recommendations, but I’m confident these will be adopted in full by Councillors and delivered by the Chief Executive and wider management team to make sure the Council is in the very best position it can be to support our colleagues and deliver the best services for the people of Edinburgh.”

Depute Leader Cllr Cammy Day said: “It was crucial that our colleagues – both past and present – and others with a connection to the Council, felt empowered to come forward and share their views and we went to great lengths to ensure they were aware of the process and how to get involved.

“This resulted in a greater than expected response to Ms Tanner’s call for evidence and, ultimately, supported what is a detailed and thorough examination of our culture.

“We will now carefully consider the findings and recommendations and agree an action plan for how best to take these forward.”

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Sean Bell scandal: Council says sorry … twenty years too late

Councillors have unanimously agreed a series of recommendations including reforming the way it investigates complaints about abuse.

This follows the findings of an independent inquiry into how the Council handled complaints about the conduct of an employee who took his own life after being charged with serious sexual offences.

Susanne Tanner’s devastating report highlights catastrophic failings by the city council in dealing with a serious allegations which were first raised MORE THAN TWENTY YEARS AGO.

The inquiry was finally commissioned in October 2020 by Chief Executive Andrew Kerr following complaints about the historical behaviour of senior social worker Sean Bell, who was found dead in August that year.

Susanne Tanner QC was appointed to lead the independent inquiry and presented her final open report at yesterday’s Full Council meeting.

Both Ms Tanner and the Council’s Chief Executive answered detailed questions at the meeting.

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In her report Ms Tanner makes a number of recommendations for the Council to act upon and an all party amendment was unanimously passed following the debate by Councillors at today’s meeting.

This includes taking forward the recommendations in the report and the subsequent action plan from the Chief Executive that will be brought to the next Full Council meeting in November.

The recommendations include reforming the Council’s system of investigation relating to sexual allegations, domestic abuse, physical violence, stalking or harassment, to make sure that it is independent and impartial and mandatory training for all managers on domestic abuse, coercive control and dealing with individuals making complaints of a potentially criminal nature.

They also cover improving policies and procedures relating to staff relationships and record keeping and the setting up of an appropriate redress scheme, without admission of liability, to compensate those who were abused by Sean Bell.

Chief Executive Andrew Kerr said: “Once again I want to offer my deepest sympathies to all the survivors of Sean Bell who suffered abuse at his hands over so many years, including those who came forward to speak to the independent inquiry and those who may not have felt able to do so.

“The report lays bare the extent of his abuse and the terrible and long-lasting impact it had, and continues to have, on their lives. I want to apologise to them on behalf of the Council – this should never have happened.

“The Council has now publicly discussed the report’s findings at length and accepted all the recommendations. It’s important we move quickly to put in place a plan setting out how we will implement these recommendations and I will bring this back to the Council next month.

“I want to reiterate my sincere thanks to the survivors and other participants for their courage in coming forward to give evidence to the inquiry team. I can only imagine how traumatic that must have been for them.

“We are grateful to Ms Tanner and the Pinsent Masons team who supported her inquiry for their sensitive and thorough approach to their investigation and we will do everything in our power to ensure this can never happen again.”

Council Leader Adam McVey said: “I want to thank the survivors for the courage, sincerity and perseverance in sharing their horrific experiences. I also want to apologise to them on behalf of all Councillors in light of their appalling experiences, which the independent inquiry has highlighted.

The detailed work carried out by Susanne Tanner and the Pinsent Masons team for this report has ensured the investigation, conclusions and recommendations were survivor-led and now gives us a clear way forward to strengthen the Council’s processes, policies and practice.

“I’m pleased that, as councillors, we were able to reach a unified position to endorse the inquiry’s recommendations in full. It’s vital that we continue to work together to ensure the failures of the past cannot be repeated in the future.

Depute Leader Cammy Day said: “The bravery the survivors have shown in coming forward with their shocking testimonies of the abuse they experienced has been heartbreaking. No one should have to suffer as they have done and it’s due to their courage, honesty and openness in coming forward that we can makes changes for the future so I want to say sorry.

“Thanks must go to Susanne Tanner and her team for their thorough work and Council officers who co-operated fully with their requests for information. We have asked the Chief Executive to report back to Council next month, detailing how the inquiry recommendations will be implemented in full to ensure this cannot and will not happen again.”

For Bell’s victims, however, the Council saying sorry – more than twenty years too late – really just isn’t good enough …