Care chief ’s parting shot: social media made life hell
SOCIAL media is “one of the worst things that has happened”, the outgoing head of the Care Quality Commission has said, as he complained of online threats and abuse.
Speaking to an audience of senior social care leaders, Sir David Behan said he thought the social networks “allow people to speak without any accountability”, and said that he had received a message from someone who said they were “going to rip my heart out”.
He admitted he had made “thousands” of mistakes during his time in the role, which began in 2012, but added: “Do I deserve that? No. Does anyone deserve that? No.”
Sir David told the audience at an Association of Directors of Adult Social Services’ seminar that criticism of social workers had become more personalised following scandals over Victoria Climbie, who was tortured and murdered by her guardians in 2000, and Baby P, who was killed by his mother and her boyfriend following a campaign of abuse in 2007.
He contrasted the cases with that of the earlier death of Maria Colwell, who was killed by her stepfather in 1973.
“With Maria Colwell, it was the system what done it. If you were around at the time, a lot of the inquiry reports were about the system, it was the system that failed those children and those families. If you get to Victoria Climbie, that was the first one that said ‘these people are to be held to account and blamed for what went on’. It’s a pretty significant shift in the way those reports were produced.
“Baby P was the first one which said not just ‘who is accountable’ but also ‘who is to blame’. That shift has not been helped by social media.”
Sir David announced in January that he would be stepping down from his role in the summer.
In 2015, he was criticised by MPS at a public accounts committee hearing over inspections at Hinchingbrooke, the first privately run NHS hospital.
He has also been praised for his overhaul of the inspectorate, which has responsibility for hospitals, dentists, care homes and GPS, following criticism for its role in earlier scandals at Winterbourne View and Morecambe Bay.