March 21: Lessons learned?
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THE death of 25-day-old Tiffany Burdge Sellman,
killed by her violent father Christopher Sellman, has undeniably
raised some serious questions for Kent social services.
The
Serious Case Review report concludes Tiffany’s
death could have been averted had two "optimum warnings" been acted
on – one given to a social worker.
So what have the politicians had
to say about the sorry affair?
The answer: to date,
nothing.
This is one of the most serious
cases involving Kent social services for some time yet so far, not
so far as I am aware, no county councillor has uttered a
single word about it.
Rosalind
Turner, KCC’s children’s services director (who was not
even working for the authority at the time) has responded and
explained events both professionally and
sensitively.
There are some who think KCC has
sought to minimise the awfulness of the case by blaming human
error. Sadly, virtually all such affairs do involve human error –
the question is whether it is evidence of some kind of systemic
breakdown in the department and KCC says that it is not.
It might be argued that this is
an operational matter, not a policy issue and therefore politicians
have no role.
Nevertheless, am I alone in
thinking that this is a tragedy that really does warrant some kind
of political response, even if it is simply to add to the
expressions of sympathy for the family? I am not for one moment
suggesting they are unmoved by the tragic events.
But all too often politicians,
who are after all, our democratically-elected representatives, are
quick to associate themselves with success.
When things go
wrong, they can tend to be less forthcoming.
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I have lost track of the number
of times that in the aftermath of such tragic deaths, we are
confidently assured that "lessons have been learned" and the
agencies involved have taken steps to ensure us nothing like it can
happen again.
It began with the Maria Colwell
case in the 1970s, an inquiry then that was hailed as a landmark in
social care.
So why, if lessons truly have
been learned, why do such tragedies occur again and again? The
answer, of course, is that no system is infallible and indeed is
vulnerable to the kind of human error that occurred in the Tiffany
Sellman case.
Perhaps it is time the phrase
"lessons have been learned" be dropped. The more it is uttered, the
less credible it becomes.
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Here's an interesting step by
the Conservative-controlled Westminster Council, which has decided
to publish the details of the earnings and remuneration of its
chief officers ahead of legislation requiring all authorities to do
so.
How Westminster council publishes earnings of senior
officers>>>>
Perhaps councils in Kent
could follow suit? Oh well, we can all dream.
Monday, March 22 2010
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