Brad way to end it all
London Fashionashion Week has left us dreading next season: pyjamas as outerwear, single gigantic earrings, overcoats with cut-out shoulders (and the point is?). Scots designer Christopher Kane dressed models in those plastic Crocs shoes that should be banned for anyone over five. And the Ugg sandal was revealed – imagine a clumpy fur-lined boot with toes sliced off by a lawnmower and you’re close. This is fashion going forward, right up its own backside. So now we know…everyone involved in the jokey reference to Ruth “Dykey D” Davidson in a political skit regrets any offence caused. Thank goodness we’ve got that straight (apologies for the pun – no offence intended). Given that practically everyone involved in the debacle is a gay woman, I doubt they were attempting to denigrate the leader of the Scottishttish Tories. So can we please stop apologising for silliness and resumeme being offended by Tory politics? Turns out no one took up sportrt in the wake of the £543million Commonwealth Games. Barely a bike bought or a Speedo swimsuit. We enjoyed the party but the Scottish Health Survey shows we didn’t increase our levels of activity. However, all the road diversions may have inadvertently given us the lead in another survey: Glasgow now tops the British road rage table. Commonwealth legacy at last. For all the rumours of consorting with hookers, affairs with actresses or dabbling with drugs, the most disappointing allegation against Brad Pitt is that his parenting style was a bit off at times.
Angelina seeks to end the marriage “for the health of my family”. Ladies, could this truly be the
moment d on Overhear night train Saturday a bloke: “Took home. Young to see Bridget girlfriend the Jones’s Baby.” late: disconso y apparentl took His pal, week you the other “Aw mate, Goulding . What’s Ellie her to see g to you?” happenin and chick flicks Love is… what no matter girl gigs, think. your mates we lost our favourite paragon of masculinity?
That he may suffer from all the usual manly frailties is bad enough but the suggestion he might not have been the perfect father? Oooft… that hurts.
Makes our Hollywood hero sound distinctly unheroic. Come on, Ange, couldn’t you have left us with our fantasies and cited adultery? If only the inadequacies were just hers. We don’t know the names of these kids or the conditions in which they live because, unlike two-year- old Liam, they’re still around and we have a duty to protect them.
We do know they were among the cases handled by Bate, who’s just been struck off for misconduct that amounted to the neglect of children.
And they were all placed at risk of significant harm not just by the bungles of one social worker but by a whole system.
It has become a dishearteningly familiar tale: some “rogue” worker gets dumped with all the blame, everyone else returns to their desks with a sigh of relief and we’re expected to believe the problem has been sorted. It’s really not enough, not this time.
The Fife Council social work team who were supposed to be looking out for Liam were so dysfunctional and disorganised it’s a wonder any vulnerable child was assisted at all.
Maybe none were. Maybe it’s just good fortune that no other kid met a similar fate.
Yet Fife Council are performing that favourite local government manoeuvre of claiming they’re bound by confidentiality not to discuss the case.
What they could do, however, is tell us exactly what’s happened in the two years since Liam’s death that can instil confidence in a previously disastrous operation.
What has been done to ensure social work teams do not split into opposing factions, play “childish games” against one another, squabble at meetings, store case records in their heads or fail to properly supervise the performance of an employee like Bate, who everyone knew was failing.
A council spokesman said: “The practice highlighted in this case is historic in nature and was dealt with robustly.
“This case doesn’t reflect current practice or the high standard of professionalism we expect and receive from social work staff.”
Pardon my scepticism but is anyone actually reassured by this? Following Bate’s misconduct hearing, the Scottish Social Services Council said there was “systemic failure”, that evidence from the team leader was less helpf ul and reliable than expected and social work witnesses were defensive and evasive.
This when there should have been handsup, tell-it-straight, clear-the-air honesty because maybe, just maybe, that might prevent these mistakes happening again. And again. A child had died, after all.
The findings are so outrageous that the Scottish Government should be demanding Fife Council release details of corrective measures they’ve now taken, checks and balances they’ve put in place.
That is the least the public deserve, particularly the traumatised locals who raised concerns over Liam’s welfare only to end up feeling like they were “pestering” social services.
It’s also what decent social workers deserve. There are a great many and they should be allowed to do their job in a professional, supportive and properly funded environment.
Clearly, these are difficult times for social work departments. Already over-stretched, they’re at the centre of the Government’s controversial Named Persons legislation which – if it finally receives clearance from the Supreme Court – is likely to add even more work to their caseload.
The Accounts Commission have warned that spiralling costs are “unsustainable” if changes in provision aren’t made. Scottish councils plan to save £54million from social work budgets next year. How does that work?
Change can’t come fast enough. It must be seen to be done and it must be properly resourced. The sacking of one inept employee should be a start, not the end.